Heroes of the Present
by Feline Freak
Summary: 25 years after the events of Heroes of the Past, the Toa Nuva are busy rebuilding the City of Legends, when Matoran start disappearing. Before they know it, the Toa are drawn into something much bigger than they expected... Sequel to Heroes of the Past
1. Spies Everywhere

**Heroes of the Present**

**Spies Everywhere**

Jaller stared sadly of the round window. He was in Hahli's hut, and the window gave a beautiful view on the sea. Especially now, when the twin suns were setting, was it worth living in Ga-Metru just to see them.

But Jaller had no place in his mind for sunsets. His mind had traveled back in time, back to to when Takanuva, the Toa of Light, had still been Takua. When they still had had fun together, before the Mask of Light was found, and before...

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hm?"

"The sunset," explained Hahli, coming nearer.

"Wha...? Oh! Oh, right," answered Jaller, finally turning his attention to the sunset, which was turning everything of various shades of yellow and orange. Even the silver sea had become of a warm, sparkling golden. Yet it didn't seem to fit, not with Takua so far away from him... "Yes, very nice. Very... golden."

_Like Takanuva,_ he thought sadly.

Hahli sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing important," answered Jaller without looking at her. One side of him didn't want to talk about it. Not with Hahli, or with anyone else. But then there was this other side, urging him to tell her everything that was going through his mind...

"Come on, there's something on your mind. What is it?" insisted Hahli.

"Nothing, really!" Jaller wondered why he kept lying. Hahli would've surely known what to say, she always did. Why did he insist in not telling her?

For a while, they stood in silence. Jaller was aware that Hahli kept looking at him, as if trying to guess what he was thinking of. Though she probably already had, knowing her...

"It's Takanuva, isn't it?" inquired Hahli.

Jaller gave no answer, but he shot her a short glance that told her that she was right.

"You know nothing has changed between you two," said Hahli softly. "He just had lots to do, like all the other Toa. I haven't talked to Toa Gali for weeks either, and I only saw her twice in the last few days."

"It's not the same thing!" answered Jaller sharply. "Toa Gali has always been Toa Gali! Toa Takanuva was Takua, before the Mask of Light was found. And he was my friend!"

"He still is your friend, Jaller,"

"Are you sure? He is always with the other Toa! I don't think he cares much about me anymore."

"Don't say that!" said Hahli firmly. "It's his duty to protect us Matoran, and you know that better than me, Jaller!"

"Yes, but I learned that there are many ways to do your duty. You can do it because you like it, because you **want** to do it. Or, you can just do it because it's your duty. Who tells us that he really cares about us? Do any of the Toa? Does your Gali care about you?"

"Yes she does!" replied Hahli firmly, nearly shouting. "And so do all the other Toa. And **you** shouldn't talk like that Jaller. Takanuva cares for you, he'd give his life for you! He already did!"

Those words had the same effect as a slap. He did his best to forget what had happened in Makuta's lair, not to think about it... but no matter how hard he tried, the horror often haunted him at night. Still, it made him realize that Hahli was right. It was just anger making him speak like that, he was just angry at Takanuva. He was stupid thinking that the Toa didn't care for them... that Takanuva didn't care for them. It was just stupid... 

"Sorry," he said. "It's just that I miss him. I really miss him."

Hahli hugged him tightly, like a mother would do with her child.

"I know," she said quietly.

None of them noticed that a pair of purple eyes were watching them through the darkness.

XXXXX

Pohatu sped through the building of Po-Metru, cursing himself for being so late for the meeting with the other Toa. If he just hadn't fallen asleep... but now all he could do was run and hope that he hadn't missed anything. Luckily, the meeting took place in the outskirts of Po-Metru, so that it wouldn't take him much to reach the place. He turned around the last bend and ran in the large plaza where they should be meeting, just to discover that all the Toa, even Lewa, were already there. He opened his mouth to explain what had happened, but stopped when he realized that something was wrong. He groaned, it looked at if Tahu and Gali were fighting again. They were shouting angrily at each other while Takanuva desperately tried to restore peace.

"What's up this time?" Pohatu asked Onua.

"Same old thing," answered the black Toa. "Elemental powers."

"What again? How did Tahu start it this time?"

"He..." started Onua, but was interrupted by Gali, who had started shouting at the top of her lungs, so that they could understand every single word.

"... NO RIGHT! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE WATER! NONE OF YOU HAS!"

"Whoa! Gali, lower you voice!" said Takanuva, but neither of the two Toa heard him.

"Why not?" asked Tahu. "I know water, we all know water. We know its power!"

"With the exception of Lewa, non of you ever had to face water without me! I was always there. And **you **Tahu, never had to face it in first place! How can you know my power?"

"Tahu, Gali, stop it..." pleaded Takanuva. But Tahu didn't even hear him.

"I know that water calms and lulls the spirit to sleep, that it has soothing qualities, that's no true power, Gali. You must admit that."

"You don't know what you're talking about, you have NO IDEA!" screamed Gali. "Water, is a source of life. Yet within its depths, it hides dangerous currents, and ferocious sea monsters. Water can drown any living creature, no matter how powerful, it can make anything disappear, never to be found again. It just has to be deep enough."

Tahu opened his mouth to answer, but Gali raised a finger to stop him.

"Mark my words, Toa of Fire. One day, you'll have to face water, alone. And then we'll see, Tahu. Then, we'll see."

With that, she turned around and wanted to go away, but bumped into Pohatu, who had placed himself behind her. The Toa of Stone promptly grabbed her shoulders and held her firmly. Knowing her, she had probably forgotten of the meeting in her anger.

"Hey hey hey! Where are **you** going?" he asked, while Gali angrily tried to free herself from his grip. "Don't tell me that the meeting is already over!"

At these words, Gali stopped fighting against his grip, and a flash across her eyes proved him that his suspects had been right. Smiling, Pohatu let go of her. Gali huffed in annoyance and turned to face Onua, as it had been him that had called for that meeting. Apparently, it had to do with something that Whenua had told him.

"What did you want to tell us, Onua?" she asked, trying not to sound impatient no matter how much he wished to go away.

"Today, Whenua came up to me and said he wants us to get rid of the archives creatures," explained Onua with a shrug. "Nothing else."

The Toa groaned. They had guessed it could be that. The strange creatures that had popped up in the archives a few weeks before were top priority for Whenua.

"I say, couldn't you guys just archive them?" Pohatu wanted to know. "You've been doing that for years! What's so different with these things?"

That caused Lewa to make a disgruntled sound. He didn't like the archives and had never liked them. He insisted that Rahi should be left free, not closed up in stasis tubes or anywhere else.

"The Onu-Matoran don't want to get near those creatures," said Onua with another shrug. "They say the creatures are like possessed."

"Possessed?" asked Lewa, confused. "You mean controlled?"

"No, I mean possessed," answered the earth spirit. Lewa made a skeptic sound. 

"What's the difference?" Tahu wanted to know.

"Controlled is if someone takes over your mind, someone alive, 'real'," explained Onua. "While possessed is..."

"If someone dead takes over your mind, I get it," interrupted Tahu.

"No, no," said Onua, smiling. "Well, not really. It's if a **spirit** takes control over you. Dead cannot take control over someone."

"In other words, the Onu-Matoran scarefreaked out because they are so used seeing Rahi having blankdead eyes that they don't know how life-full eyes look like," explained Lewa.

Tahu huffed angrily. "It's the same. The problem are still the creatures. I say: we go in there and finish them once and for all!"

There were mumbles from the other Toa. All of them knew the strange creatures that had popped up in the archives. Even though they were normally calm and didn't attack anyone if left alone, they could go berserk if annoyed, let alone if attacked. And then, they started hitting everything with their powerful tails. What the Toa didn't understand was where the creatures came from. They had never been seen on Mata Nui before, yet they simply popped up in the archives, as if they came from the very heart of them. The Toa's best guess was that some forgotten stasis tubes had broken.

"Come on guys! Don't tell me that you are afraid of some stupid Rahi!" taunted them Tahu.

"Those are not 'some stupid Rahi', Tahu," snapped Gali. "They are powerful creatures, and..."

"And **you** just said that water can drown any living creature, no matter how powerful," said Tahu, 'casually'. "Come on, go and show us your _true_ power."

Gali stared at him with her mouth open, not knowing what to answer. She hadn't expected that. Yeah well, she hadn't expected to be seeing Tahu for the rest of the day either.

A triumphant grin spread over Tahu's face, and Gali felt her insides cook as if she had been filled with boiling water. She wanted to slap herself, how could she have though that Tahu would have let her pass after what she had said? And now what?

"And how exactly is she going to do it, if the creatures suck out her elemental energy?" asked Kopaka. Gali's head spun around towards him, surprised that he was taking her defense.

The ability to suck elemental energy out of their opponents, and then turn it into pure energy was what made the creatures so dangerous. Even though the Toa didn't know much about elemental energy, they knew that is was what gave strength to their powers. If a Toa was left without elemental energy, he or she couldn't conjure earthquakes, fires or anything else anymore. On the other side, a sudden outburst of energy could be devastating if, using all your strength to conjure a strong wind, a cyclone came out instead. Both things had already happened to the Toa: the first when a creature had sucked out nearly all of Tahu's elemental energy. Afterwards, the red Toa hadn't been able to conjure a decent fire or a strong shield for days, much to Kopaka's entertainment.

Another time, a creature had sent a ball of pure energy at Onua, and the Ilsao around his neck had absorbed it. Onua had then concentrated hard to let the earth split just enough to let the creature fall in, but the Ilsao had released the elemental energy, and a crevasse had appeared in the ground, nearly swallowing the other Toa and making the chamber collapse. Since that day, the Toa had decided that it was safer to leave the Ilsao home.

"I... she..." mumbled Tahu, surprised that Kopaka had taken Gali's defense. It wasn't at all like Kopaka, and Tahu guessed that it was only to annoy him, something that made anger rise in him. "The point is that we must face the creatures to get rid of them! That and only that is important!" he snapped.

"Fine, fine!" said Pohatu, raising is hands. "Tomorrow morning in front of the archives?"

"How about tardylate morning?" suggested Lewa.

"Having a party at Le-Metru?" Takanuva wanted to know.

"Yep, wanna come?"

"Sure, I could use some fun."

"Anyone else? Pohatu, Tahu, Gali... _Kopaka_?" he asked, pronouncing the last name in a way that told the others that he didn't really mean it. Kopaka gave him an annoyed stare and shook his head. Onua also didn't want to come, but Pohatu and Gali both agreed, while Tahu just looked nerved.

"Okay then, late morning," said Tahu.

"Are you coming?" Lewa wanted to know.

"No," said Tahu, shaking his head. "Knowing Le-Metruan parties, it will go on for quite a while, and we've got work to do, tomorrow."

Lewa rolled his eyes and said something about taking the job too seriously, then the seven Toa bid their goodbyes and left the place.

A few minutes later, an eighth person crossed the grounds and headed for Ta-Metru.

XXXXX

At the same time, a tall figure was flying rapidly between the Le-Metruan buildings. No one noticed it, for it moved without making a sound, and no one looked up to the evening sky. Occasionally, it would fly lower to the ground, and then some Matoran would look up, but no one spared it more than a glance, and one or two would even wave to it.

The figure smiled, pleased with what it was seeing. It nodded shortly at the waving Matoran, then flew back up towards the sky, landing on the top of the tallest building of Le-Metru, where another person was waiting.

"So?" asked the person.

"No one cared about me," answered the figure. The other one smiled and looked up at the quickly darkening sky.

"Perfect..."

* * *

I don't think I have to say that this is the sequel to Heroes of the Past, and that I'm back. Instead, sorry for the boring explanations, I try to do them short, but elemental energy is a complicated thing, and I myself am still sorting out this and that, so if you have questions, tell me. Besides, you know me: better long at the beginning that short in the middle of a fight. 

Also, I'm not answering to the reviews of HotP's last chapter, 'cause 1. you probably don't even remember what you wrote (I wouldn't) and 2. the only two or three that really need an answer are the ones involving critique because Lhikan is supposed to be dead, and I can't answer here to a review of someone that is still at the 4th chapter. Which brings me to an important note: if you leave a review to the first chapters when the story is at its sixth, you'll find an answer in the seventh, as usual.

Nothing else? No, i don't- oh yeah, um, I have this small problem that's called: forgetting to explain minor things that leave confused in the first story. I think I gotta explain: Lhikan's death, what Gali did to Takua and a couple of other things that I'll probably remember by re-reading HotPast. So, please tell me what I have to explain, okay?

And no, ToaMaster, I'm not using Aaron in this story.


	2. Nightly Shadows

Disclaimer: Whoops! Forgot it last time. So: since this is a sequel to a story that changed all the characters deeply, they are all mine! Mwahahahaha! (Friends note: Great, she's even crazier that before vacation!) Ahem... Bionicle isn't mine.

**Nightly Shadows**

Tahu walked slowly towards his house in Ta-Metru. Many Matoran waved at him as he passed, and he waved back. But it was a fake, reflexive wave. He didn't know half of the Matoran waving at him, much unlike Mata Nui, where he had known everybody in his village.

Thinking of his old island made him feel a pain in his chest, like if someone had stabbed him from the inside. He missed the Mangai and its fiery lava falls, the ashy air, but especially, he missed his village, Ta-Koro, and he knew he was never going to see it again. He felt one of his swords, stripped to his back. How long had it passed since he had last joined them to surf lava? He hadn't done it since he had left Mata Nui, which had been... how many years before? He had lost track of the time that had passed since they had first come on Metru Nui. Since their first adventure on the city of legends...

Thinking of their first adventure brought up another memory: a long, pointed snout, two smart, bright red eyes, a couple of twitching ears, a wagging tail...

Thaukon.

If possible, thinking of his Ihar friend made him feel even worse. The Ihar could be a bit annoying at times, but he was a loyal friend, and his natural joy and energy was contagious. He would've given anything to have him here with him, in that moment.

"Toa Tahu!" a known voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned around and looked down at the captain of the guards... the ex-captain, as guards were no longer needed with the Vahki patrolling the city.

"What is it Jaller?" he asked.

"I... I wanted to..." he started, looking around confused. "Where is Toa Takanuva?"

"He went to a party in Le-Metru... typical of him. Being a Toa doesn't make him one bit more responsible..." he paused as he saw the look on Jaller's face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing," said Jaller, shaking his head. "If you see him, can you tell him that I've been looking for him?"

Tahu nodded, frowning. "Okay..."

"Thanks," said the ex-captain, before rushing away. Tahu stared after him for a while, then shrugged and headed home again.

He soon reached his house and walked in, closing the door behind him. But he had barely done it, when he realized that it had been a big mistake. Someone had closed the windows, so that it was pitch-black inside the hut.

And he wasn't alone.

XXXXX

Jaller ran into his house and slammed the door behind him, feeling a painful anger anger burn deeper and deeper into him. So Takanuva **did **have some free time, he just preferred to spend it with the other Toa rather than with him!

He slammed his fists against the door with all his might. He should have expected it! Takanuva was now a Toa, and he was just a stupid Matoran. How could he have imagined that their friendship would go on? Theirs were completely different worlds!

Hahli's words came up in his mind. "_Takanuva is still your friend! He just had lots to do!"_

_Lots to do... yeah right, _he though angrily. _Like going to Le-Metruan parties with his new __Toa__ friends!_

He looked up at the dark ceiling, staring at the protodermis designs on it, feeling his anger being overwhelmed by sadness.

_You got that wrong, Hahli,_ he thought._ You got that wrong._

In his mixture of sadness and anger, Jaller didn't realized the shadow hidden in the back of the room...

XXXXX

In another zone of Metru Nui, a dark figure was waiting in the now nearly complete darkness. After a while, it jumped off the roof of the hut it had been standing on and slipped inside Turaga Onewa's hut. Silently, it crawled to his bedside and bent over the old Turaga, slowly stroking his mask while it sung a low, sweet tune that vibrated through the air and spread through the room. Onewa's face contracted in a worried grimace and he started grumbling and muttering under his breath. The figure started singing a quiet song. It was a song without words, but clearly a song. Onewa's worried face relaxed, and a hint of a smile appeared on it. The figure also smiled, stroked him one last time and then slipped away, leaving no trace of its passing. Then, with a last look at the hut, it sped away with its mission: the Turaga.

XXXXX

"So?"

"Kopaka, Onua and Tahu are missing,"

"Tahu?"

"Yes, Tahu too.

"Frell! This could ruin everything!"

"We can just hope..."

XXXXX

Matoro trotted through the desert streets of Ko-Metru, wishing he hadn't spent so much time doodling on the way. The two twin suns had already set, and darkness was overcoming Metru Nui quickly. Although most Matoran thought that there was no point respecting the old rules -- like being home before the dark – he was sure that Makuta would come back one day, and he would do it during the night. Just a few days ago, he had heard Nuju tell Kopaka that a shadow lay ahead, and that he and the other Toa had to keep their eyes open. Whether Kopaka had taken the warning seriously or not, he didn't know. **He** certainly had. But whenever he tried to warn a Matoran about it, he or she would roll their eyes and tell him that Makuta was gone for good.

He sped up, eager to get home. His feet made a soft cricking sound as he ran through the frozen streets. The sound was barely to be heard, but in the complete silence it sounded to Matoro like he was stomping on glass balls.

_Crick, crick, crick, _went his feet. The sound made Matoro nervous. Why couldn't it stop? He broke into a run. He just had to cross three streets to reach his home.

_Crick, crick, crick... _Just two more streets.

_Crick, crick, crick... CRUNCH!_

Matoro froze. That hadn't been him! There was someone else in the street!

But he had barely thought that, when a flash of brown sped towards him, and the world went black.

XXXXX

Tahu stood perfectly still, his body still in the motion of closing the door. Behind him, he could hear a light, calm breath that proved him that he wasn't alone. He waited, slowly reaching for his swords and hoping that the intruder didn't possess any kind of night vision. He had barely grabbed his lava blades, when the intruder behind him started walking around in the room, slowly coming towards him.

Tahu spun around and fired. Just a small outburst of flames, enough to stun whoever was behind him, though not enough to burn down his house.

But either the intruder had expected that, or they had been coming from the other direction, for Tahu saw a slim figure do a backflip to safety.

Tahu blinked as the fire died out, leaving him once again in complete darkness. It had gone too fast for him to be sure, but Tahu thought he had recognized who it was. Then again, it could have been someone else. Iin both cases, there was no reasons for them to be here.

The intruder turned to him, revealing a pair of clear blue eyes. Tahu gasped, he hadn't been wrong, it was really her! He jumped forwards and extended one of his still glowing swords in front of him, so that it lit up the intruder's face.

The blue Kaukau Nuva of a well known Toa shone in the light of the blade. Tahu's mouth dropped open, even though he had already known who it was.

"Ilag!" he cried in surprise.

The Toa Leehar of Water smiled at him in the darkness.

* * *

Okay, this is gonna take a while... sorry, but this story has a contorted beginning and absolutely NO middle. I have some crucial points already planned out, the question is HOW I get to those points. If it's gonna take a while it's because I'm doing my best to make it just as good as the first, as I know from personal experience that many sequels aren't as good as the original, especially if they were planned AFTER the original. Now, luckily, I got the idea a slight bit before I finished the first story, so the worst thing that can happen is that it's gonna be very short. And don't worry, the thief's story is already planned, just like Heroes of the Past had been. 

Also, I'm re-reading Heroes of the Past to see if I forgot something (remember, send me questions if you have any), so I'll be fixing up this and that thing and a few typos... and maybe change the story of the Ihar. If I will, I'll tell you.

Now.. hey! Nice to hear from all of you again!

**Slythergrl2004: **This is my style, that's yours and my stories WOULD need an introduction... it would save me from absolutely contorted beginnings and missing middles. Hehe...

**Regrem Erutaerc: **Hi!I should've thought that you would ask me... and yes, it is a bit obvious with the water, isn't it? -sweatdrops- I'm running our of surprises...

**Goldenrod: **Yo! Nice to hear from you again. As I said, I doubt that. I'll do my best, though... As for the Ihar... can't tell you, just think of the three points Heroes of the Past was based on.

**ToaMaster: **How could I get you thinking I'd put Aaron in if I never talked about this sequel? Answer to 1. it means that it used to be the beginning of Heroes of the Present (yeah, I did start it that long ago... I rewrote the beginning sort of like... ten times) and then my imagination took over. If you'll get a new chapter, it's because my imagination took over again. 2. No, it'll be called Heroes of the Present Perfect... -rolls eyes and challenges anyone to understand what's supposed to be funny about that- What do you think? 3.I got to the point where the Toa get defeated by the Bohrok Kal, found that absolutely stupid, and stopped reading... heck, they defeated the Rakshi, why can't they defeat the Kal anymore?

And by the way... DO write what you want me to answer in this story, it'd be of great help!


	3. Disappearances

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine... blah blah blah... -sniggers- I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE disclaimers!

**Disappearances**

"Gali, Gali wake up!" called a voice. Gali felt herself being shaken slightly and opened her eyes. Over her, a golden mask came into view.

"Takua? What are **you **doing here?" she asked, sitting up on her bed.

"Toa Takanuva, get out of here immediately! Don't forget that this is a girl's house!" interrupted someone. Gali recognized the voice as Nokama's.

"It's alright, Turaga," said Gali with a wave of her hand. Takanuva would never disturb her if it wasn't something serious, and the concerned look on his face proved that nothing good had happened. Nokama stared at her, awe-struck.

"Really, Turaga, it is,"

"Oh," said Nokama, and Gali thought she saw a hint of a smile in her eyes. "Do you... wish to stay alone?"

"Yes, please," said Takanuva, he seemed impatient. Nokama nodded and closed the door, the smile had spread to her mouth, and it hit Gali that Nokama had gotten a completely wrong idea of what was happening. But before she could hold her back, Nokama was gone.

Gali shook her head. "Oh great... what did you want to tell me?"

Takanuva's face darkened, and Gali suddenly had the feeling it could be worse that she had expected.

"Jaller is gone," Takanuva said finally.

"What? How?"

"I don't know, Kapura just informed me," he said, turning to her. "I-- I looked for him every where, and I just can't find him!"

Gali jumped up from her bed and grabbed his shoulders. "Listen, are you sure you looked everywhere? Here in Ga-Metru, maybe? Jaller has been visiting Hahli quite a lot, lately."

"Why do you think I'm here?" he asked. "But Nokama wouldn't let me anywhere?"

"Well she **is** right," said Gali sternly. "Just because I let **you** in, I don't want complaints from my people that some Matoran came up to something stupid... okay?"

"Yeah, alright... but **we** can come in here, right?" he asked "Me and the other Toa, I mean."

"Yes, **you** can," said Gali, heading to the door and grabbing her acqua axes on the way. "Now let's see if we can find Jaller."

The two Toa left Gali's house and headed for Hahli's hut. Once there, Gali knocked on the door and waited. After a couple of seconds, a muffled: "Who's there?" was heard.

"It's Gali," answered the blue Toa "Can I come in?" She waited for Hahli to answer before entering the hut, Takanuva preferred to stay outside.

"Toa Gali! I just wanted to talk to you about..."

"Not now, Hahli, unless it's something really important. Takua and I are looking for Jaller, was he here this morning?"

"No, he wasn't," said Hahli, and Takanuva felt his heart sink. "Why do you want to know? Did something happen?"

"We don't know, Takua just told me that he isn't to be found," said Gali.

"What do you mean, 'he isn't to be found'?"

"I mean that we can't find him, he disappeared."

"What? And who--"

"We don't know, that's what we're trying to find out," said Gali. "Listen, you don't happen to know something he said that might help us, do you?"

"No, not really, no."

"Are you sure? Absolutely nothing?"

"Actually..."

"Yes?"

"It's what I wanted to talk about with you. Jaller thinks that Takanuva doesn't care for him anymore... and then he started saying really mean things about the Toa..."

Hahli went on talking, but Takanuva didn't hear anything else, he was just too shocked. How could Jaller think he didn't care for him anymore? True, he hadn't seen him in a while, but... to come and think that he didn't **care** for him anymore?

"Takua?" he heard Gali ask in a soft voice. The golden Toa looked up, suddenly realizing that we was sitting on the ground, slumped against the wall. Gali was kneeling in front of him, and understanding look on her face.

"I-- I had no idea," murmured Takanuva. "If I had known... maybe... maybe I did spend too little time with Jaller! I mean..."

"It's no use worrying about that now," whispered Gali. "First you have to find him, and then you can clear things up."

Takanuva nodded, and Gali smiled at him in a reassuring way. She opened her mouth to say something, but shut it immediately and stared at a point to the left. Takanuva frowned and looked to the side, trying to find out what it was that Gali was looking at. The only thing he could see was a Vahki patrol.

"Vahki," he said simply, Gali nodded.

"Listen, Hahli will be meeting us at my hut, let's go," Takanuva nodded and stood up, following Gali to her house.

"So," said Gali once inside. "Hahli's gone to check on my people, to make sure nobody is missing from **here**. I doubt seriously that Jaller is the only one that can't be found."

"Do you think the creatures could have something to do with this?" Takanuva asked.

"I hope not... if it was so, it would mean we made a **really** big mistake, that we turned away from our duty, and that..." Gali didn't finish the phrase.

"Jaller would have something to say about that," said Takanuva sadly, flopping on Gali's bed. He had already lost Jaller once, but then, he hadn't had so much time to think about it, to realize what it meant. But now that there weren't any imminent battles, he had all the time he wanted to think about it.

"Don't worry," said Gali softly, sitting on a random chair in the room. "Jaller can take care of himself, don't forget that he used to be the captain of the guards. He's fought dangerous battles before."

Takanuva managed a sad smile, as far as he could remember, Gali had always known what to say in difficult situations. Maybe it was the only thing that hadn't changed over time. However it was, he was lucky to have such a friend.

"Thanks," he said, Gali smiled back at him, and for some time, they just sat there, in silence. Then, after some time, Hahli ran inside the house.

"Toa Gali!" she said, panting. "I... I checked over the Metru... and... and I found out that... that Kotu is missing!"

"What? Kotu?" Gali asked, blinking. She wasn't sure she had understood. One thing was Jaller being kidnapped... but Kotu? She was just a normal Matoran, who could have any interest in kidnapping her?

"Yes, Kotu... Alya says she's been looking for her all morning... apart from her, nobody else," she bit her lip, and suddenly the words escaped from her before she could stop them. "Jaller will be alright, won't he? He was the captain of the guards, he can't..."

"Hahli, I can't promise you anything, I can't promise anything to any of you. But as you said: he used to be the captain of the guards. He isn't completely helpless. That's all I can say," Gali answered. Hahli nodded, though she didn't seem very reassured. Gali stood up.

"Now," she said. "The most important thing is warning the Toa and the Turaga, as I don't supposed Tahu already knows and went to tell the other Toa... am I right, Takua?"

Takanuva shook his head, "No... I first wanted to check in Ga-Metru."

"Okay, the best thing is if we go straight to our meeting point, while Hahli tells Nokama what happened," saying this, she looked out of the window, spotting the twin suns high in the sky. "Oh no! We're late for the meeting with the other Toa!" she cried.

"Tahu won't be happy," agreed Takanuva.

"Okay, let's go," she rushed to the door, but paused before going out. "Listen, i know you two are very close to Jaller, but try and pull yourself together... if it **really** were the creatures that got him and Kotu, we're in great trouble... **all** of us."

"All? You mean like, **all**? Really all?" asked Hahli, sounding slightly hysterical. Gali grimaced.

"Yes, **all**. As much as I hate to say this,"

Slightly worried by those words, Takanuva followed her out of the hut.

XXXXX

When Takanuva and Gali got to the archive entrance where they normally met, the other were nowhere to be seen. Takanuva guessed that either they had gone away to look for them, or they had already gone down without them.

"Or they didn't even get here," added Gali.

"Why wouldn't they?" Takanuva wanted to know.

"Think about it... two missing Matoran, maybe more. Maybe they found out about what's happening and decided to check over their Metru, or to look for the Matoran instead of coming here."

"Good point, but now what?" asked Takanuva. Gali shrugged.

"I don't know... if we start looking for them and they're looking for us, there are good chances we'll just chase each other around the city without reaching anyone."

"So you think it's best to stay here?"

Gali opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Kapura, who ran up to them in that moment.

"Toa Gali! Toa Takanuva" he panted. "Turaga Vakama wishes to see you both, along with the other Toa! It's about the four missing Matoran!"

"Four?" chorused the two Toa. Kapura nodded.

"Yes... Jaller, Onepu, Matoro and Jeea."

"Who's Jeea?" Gali asked Takanuva, confused.

"Dunno..." said Takanuva with a shrug. "Never heard of him... Come on, we're wasting time. Let's go!"

And with that, he sped down the street towards Vakama's house. Gali paused a second to thank Kapura, then sped after him.

XXXXX

"You're late," greeted them Kopaka coldly when they reached the Turaga's house. "Twice in a row, today."

"Sorry, it's my fault, I..." started Takanuva, but Tahu cut him off.

"We **know** you went to Ga-Metru and sneaked around the houses despite the fact that it's normally forbidden," snapped Tahu, he sounded annoyed and... envious?

"I only went into Gali's house!" protested Takanuva. "And she..."

"That's not the way you act, Takua," said Pohatu solemnly. Then he burst into laugher. "That was great! How did **you** manage not to get chucked out? I never made it past..."

"Past what?" Gali asked sternly. Pohatu shut his mouth and turned to her.

"Oh, Gali! Nice to see you again! It's been a long night..."

"Past what?" repeated Gali. "What on Metru Nui were you doing in my Metru?"

"Just... visiting,"

"Visiting?"

"Yeah, remember Ali? Or that cute, sweet girl named Fjuto? Or Shiika? Or..."

"I asked you what you were doing in my village! Not the list of all your lovers!" Gali yelled over the laugher of the other Toa.

"Right," agreed Nokama. "And you guys know that what happened today doesn't change anything! You're still not allowed to enter the girls' houses! Or to..."

"Gali said we can come to her if we have something to tell her," interrupted Takanuva. Nokama looked at Gali in surprise. The blue Toa shrugged.

"I thought it would prevent confusions like the one this morning if they were allowed to come in my hut."

"Sounds fair," agreed Matau, receiving an angry look from Nokama for that. He shrugged. "You have to admit it's goodbetter this way."

"Now, unless there are other problems concerning boys sneaking into girls' houses," said Lhikan. "I think we might as well get to more serious problems."

"Yes," agreed Vakama. "Four Matoran are missing, two of them..."

"Five," interrupted him Gali. "Kotu is also missing."

"Five then," continued Vakama. "Two of them, Jeea and Onepu, are from Onu-Metru, and one of them, Matoro, is Nuju's interpreter."

Takanuva looked up, blinking. Only now did he realize that Turaga Nuju was sitting an a corner, away from the other Tuaraga, and he didn't seem in a very good mood. Takanuva could understand him, he'd hate it too to be forced to sit back and listen, without saying anything.

"Yes, we know Turaga," said Tahu. "We were about to check on the creatures in the archives, but a certain **someone** was late."

"It was just lucky they were!" snapped Vakama. "We might have never found you if they hadn't!"

"I'm not sure that was brightluck, Turaga," said Lewa. "We have to act everquick if we want to save the awaygone Matoran."

It took a couple of seconds for Tahu to realize that Lewa had just said that it would have been better if the Turaga hadn't found them, and that they were just wasting their time with this meeting. He elbowed him angrily, though privately, he thought the same thing. But it was too late anyway.

"Toa Lewa, you'd better show a bit more respect towards your Turaga," Onewa warned him. But Lewa didn't make any kind of excuse.

"As I was saying," continued Vakama. "Two of the missing Matoran are from Onu Metru... rings a bell?"

The Toa nodded in silence.

"It's been weeks we've been telling you to take the archives' creatures seriously," said Whenua. "But did you listen? No."

"We know Turaga, and we're sorry we didn't," said Onua, before Tahu or Lewa made things even worse. The last thing they needed now was the Turaga being angry at them. That's why we want to get to the archives as quickly as possible. To rectify our mistake."

Matau shook his head. "I suppose you were quickplotting to look for the awaygone Matoran, but that isn't what we want you to do."

"No?" asked Gali, confused. Onua frowned. What else could they do?

"No," said Lhikan. "We ask you to continue re-building the city, and disinfesting the archives."

"No!" cried Takanuva suddenly. The Turaga looked at him.

"The creatures are the only thing that connect us to Jaller!" he protested. "We might never find him, or any other Matoran, if we drive them away!"

_He' right, _thought Onua. _The creatures are the only thing that connect us to the missing Matoran._

But Whenua shook his head. "No. We've waited too long. I want the creatures away from the archives... **now**!"

"But..."

"Didn't you just say we've been right all the time?" Onewa asked. "Then please, listen to us and do what we tell you."

"No!" said Takanuva firmly. "I can't just leave Jaller..."

"You will do what your Turaga tells you!" snapped Vakama. Takanuva stopped dead in the middle of the phrase. All the Toa were quite, shocked by the Turaga's hard words. Vakama sighed and continued. "You have to learn to make the right decision, Takanuva. I know you were very close to Jaller, but you have to see him just as a Matoran, not as a friend. One single Matoran is nothing compared to one thousand, no matter who he is..."

Onua noticed how Takanuva's hands clenched into fists and he grit his teeth as Vakama went on talking, his whole body was tense with anger. He looked at Gali, searching for help. She shrugged. Onua nodded towards the door, but she just blinked. Trying to stay unnoticed, Onua pointed first at Takanuva, then at Gali and made a shushing gesture towards the door. Gali answered with a nod towards the Turaga, made a gesture with her hand like a quacking duck, and shrugged. Onua could only shrug back.

"_What are you saying Vakama? Where did your wiseness go? Each Matoran is important, it doesn't matter whether it's one or a hundred!"_

Onua jumped at the unknown voice. Who was that? He looked around, but couldn't spot anyone, even stranger, no one else seemed to have noticed it. He shot Lewa, who was standing next to him, a questioning look. _Did you hear that? _Was the message. But Lewa just answered with a confused look. _What?_

"...You have to learn to make the right decision in these cases, or you'll never be a good Toa," continued Vakama. "And this time, the right decision is..."

"IS TO LET THE MISSING MATORAN DIE!" Takanuva burst out.

"...is to make sure no other Matoran is in danger," finished Vakama, ignoring him. For a couple of seconds, there was silence.

"Can... can we go now?" Onua asked carefully after a while. Nokama nodded.

"Yes, you can go now,"

A loud sound echoed through the room the second she had finished speaking. Takanuva, who had stormed out at the 'you', had slammed the door behind him.

"Takua! Takua wait!" cried Gali, running after him. As she ran out of the house, she nearly tripped into Hahli, who had been standing there.

"Oh, sorry Toa Gali! I... I have come to tell Nokama about Kotu and..." she started.

"It's alright, it was my fault, and Nokama already knows," Gali cut her off distractedly, too busy looking for Takanuva. So she didn't hear that the pretty Matoran's voice was shaking.

"Right, well... if... if Nokama knows, I'll... I'll just go home," Hahli said. Gali stopped looking for Takanuva and turned to Hahli, just to see her turn around and rush away. A suspect made its way through Gali's head, who suddenly had to wonder how much the Matoran had heard.

* * *

-

Note to self: never write thing that get too emotional again, they turn out bad... sorry, I have the feeling there's loads of sh+t in this chapter. yesterday I was randomly surfing the web trying to find out whether it was taipu or onepu that was whenua's right hand... and obviously went to bionicle _dot _com. And what do i find out? Not only the darn website has been turned inside out! But i can only see black rectangles, the 2005 comics are STILL at comic n.1, and the lexicon isn't there anymore. (panics because of last point) i HATE bionicle _dot _com! Is there something i should know that happened during the last three-four comics? -grumblegrumble- i don't want living dead popping up again. -stares angrily at lhikan-

_Do you know,  
what it takes to be a hero?  
When your lost,  
a piece of love,  
a piece of you. _

_? by ?_

-laughs- it fits just perfectly with my fanfic! crazy...

**Regrem Erutaerc: **Ilag? Ilag who? -sniggers- I'm expecting a loud YEAH! From you because of Tahu being 'jealous'... even though it means nothing. (I know you're probably getting sick of this... hehe)

**Likanliveson: **I was wondering what had happened to you... I'll read it.

**Not-a-hacker:** don't worry, criticism is as welcome as 'hilarious' reviews (even though not as nice...) criticism can help stories get better, you know... (flames are accepted too, by the way) Anyway, the return of the Leehar (or of any other character from HotP) was never meant to be a surprise. The false Toa are one of the main points this trilogy is based on. And I know the unexpected is always the most expected thing, I know lots of movies with completely obvious 'unexpected' things. -rolls eyes- all disney movies that my sister loves, for example. (She didn't get my duh-that was-obvious-attitude)

**Slythergrl: **Well, you can always say "absolutely fabulous chapter!", instead. -sniggers- just kidding.

**ToaMaster: **swet? SWET? Whazzat? Single Wet Earthen Table? No, it must be more something like: Simply Wonderful: (signed) Enthusiastic ToaMaster. -sniggers again- Just kidding... WHAT IS THAT?

Note: Criticism is highly recommended to keep authors from blowing their heads up. (okay, okay, I'm in a 'stupid' mood today)


	4. Mining Incidents

Disclaimer: And bionicle still isn't mine... aaaaaaaaargh!

**Mining Incidents**

"So, what do you think?" Tahu was asking some time later. After Gali had caught up with Takanuva, and talked sense into him, Tahu had proposed that they went to his house and talked about it before doing anything else. It was always a bad sign when he said so, because it meant that the situation was far worse than it seemed.

"I think Vakama should stop forging great masks and disks," said Pohatu, playing with a small stone as he did so. "Not to sound like Onewa, but his head really did cook up this time."

"Or goodbetter, Whenua's," agreed Lewa.

"So you'd search for the missing Matoran?" Tahu asked.

"Yep, what else?"

"We do what the Turaga told us," said Kopaka in a flat tone.

"No we don't!" cried Takanuva, jumping up. "**I'm** not leaving Jaller to a certain death! No matter what the Turaga said!"

Kopaka stepped forwards and pushed Takanuva back into a chair.

"Listen carefully," he said in an icy voice. "If your Jaller and four other Matoran are missing, it's because we didn't listen to the Turaga and didn't care about the creatures. Do you want to make this even worse?"

"No, but I can't just let..."

"Jaller is already dead, you idiot!" hissed Kopaka. "We'll be of much more help if we make sure no one else gets hurt!"

Takanuva started at him with a questioning, angry look. Kopaka sighed, annoyed.

"Why do you think the creatures brought him away? Do you really think they only survive on elemental energy?"

Those words were followed by a complete silence. Until then, nobody had thought about why the creatures had taken away the Matoran in first place. They just hadn't thought about it! But they all had enough experience with Rahi to know that there could be only one reason: food.

Pohatu was the first to break the silence: "He's right, you know," he said softly. Lewa also nodded.

"As much as I badhate this," he said.

Takanuva turned to Gali, searching for help. But the blue Toa, merely stared at the ground, and when she did look up, there was only compassion in her yellow eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I hadn't though, that..."

She didn't finish the phrase, she didn't need to. Takanuva had already understood. A single word, and all of a sudden Jaller was just a helpless Matoran again. He turned to Tahu. There was a disapproving look in his eyes, as if the whole thing didn't convince him., but he didn't say a word. Once again, Takanuva couldn't help but being surprised by how much Tahu had changed since that had landed on Miko Nui. He was fulfilling his role as a leader much better, and had stopped deciding exactly the opposite just because it was Kopaka's idea. Even though he would do that any other time. When he realized that Takanuva was watching him, he turned his head around, so that he didn't have to face him.

"So," said Tahu, avoiding Takanuva's eyes carefully. "Who's in favor of doing what the Turaga told us?"

Over their heads, a tall, green figure was lying face up on the house's roof. Hearing Tahu's phrase, he smiled. Everything was going exactly as planned. The Turaga were doing their job nicely, insisting that the Toa had to clear up the archives before they did anything else, before they even looked for the missing Matoran! Kopaka had pointed out neatly how the creatures had probably already eaten Jaller and the others, and even Tahu was standing to their plan!

"I'm not exactly in favor, but..." he head Pohatu say.

"No! No you can't! Please!" Takanuva was pleading.

"I'm sorry, Takua, I really am... if there was just one chance..."

That girl's voice could only belong to Gali. The figure laughed softly thinking of how stupid the situation was: all the Toa called Takanuva Takua, because it was shorter. But Takanuva's best friend kept calling him 'Toa'.

A sound made him turn his head around, and he saw a small figure rush away from the hut. He knew that Hahli had been listening to the whole conversation, trying to find out whether the Toa were going to save her beloved Jaller. Well, they weren't, and she knew that. This was getting better and better, and probably it meant saving them a lot of work. Now, if the Toa could just speed things up a bit and get on with act two...

"What about you, Onua?" Tahu asked. "You still haven't said anything!"

"Some time, ago back on Mata Nui," answered a deep, rumbling voice. Onua, obviously. "Whenua told me that a Toa's true power is here, in its head, and here, in its heart. He said that my powers can move the earth, but that my heart and my mind can move the mountains."

_Dude, quick-speed with it, no one's interested in what your powers can do, _thought the figure. _And I'm getting sick of still-lying on this roof._

"So?" asked Tahu, annoyed. It seemed as if he wasn't the only one not interested in what Onua's powers could do.

"Well, my mind tells me that the Matoran are probably dead, that if we don't obey the Turaga we'll make things even worse and get into lots and lots of trouble."

"And your heart?" asked Takanuva hopefully.

"My heart is telling me who I really am: an outlaw and the friend of the greatest thief ever in the history of Metru Nui. And it's telling me that if I don't give it at least one try, I'll hate myself for the rest of my life."

"And what will you follow, your heart, or your mind?" Gali asked softly.

"The same thing I followed when I decided to turn into a Toa," answered Onua. "And you?"

From the roof, Awel smiled. Yes, everything was going just as planned.

XXXXX

Hahli slammed the door behind herself and threw herself on her bed. The Toa's words kept buzzing in her head, each phrase chasing another as the Toas' decision kept resounding in her brain. Jaller... and Kotu... and all those poor Matoran would be left to their destiny! But what was worse, none of the Toa had spoken against that, no one had said a word. It had been a decision they had taken together. All of them. Well, not really...

_Takanuva was against it, _thought Hahli. _But then again, he's Jaller's best friend, or at least was... it wouldn't have been normal if he hadn't._

No, definitely not. Still, this could turn to her favor. Maybe she could talk into him, and with his help, convince the other Toa that it was the wrong decision. That the five missing Matoran were more important than...

_Than what? The archives? _She thought. _But it's not because of the archives that they have taken this decision, and aren't looking for the missing Matoran._

No, it definitely wasn't. She had heard Pohatu, and Lewa, and she had heard Kopaka. If they weren't looking for the missing Matoran, it was because of what the Turaga had said. About the thousand Matoran compared to five. There was little she could say against that. She was sure that Takanuva wouldn't care, he wanted to save Jaller as much as she did, but what about the other Toa? **They **weren't close friends of Jaller, and Kopaka especially wasn't going to change this decision that easily.

_It doesn't matter, _she told herself. _It doesn't matter what they say, or what they do. I'll go looking for Jaller, only with Takanuva if it's necessary... or alone._

XXXXX

The Toa silently walked down the archives corridors, keeping an eye out for anything that moved that might be one of the creatures. They had decided to start searching for the Matoran straight away, as it was only a matter of time before the Turaga realized that they weren't doing what they had been asked for. They had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone about what they were doing. The chance that the information somehow slipped was too risky. It was one of the many things they had learned while living as outlaws, when they had been Matoran. Also, Tahu had said that they couldn't take more than three or four days. Afterwards, the Turaga were bound to realize what was happening. Without counting that the Matoran would probably be dead by then.

It was obvious that the voice that the creatures had taken five Matoran had spread, because there was nobody in the archives apart from them. The only noises to be heard were the sound of their footsteps and their breathing. It was as if someone had turned the sound off, or stopped time. Nowhere an Onu-Matoran, squabbling over a rare Rahi, nowhere an occasional Le-Matoran, coming to repair this or that. The only other 'living' creatures were the Rahi, suspended in time inside their stasis tubes, unmoving, unblinking... barely even breathing. Lewa stared sadly at a tube containing an ash bear, it felt so cruel to close those poor animals up, keeping them from having their life...

_One day, _he though as they passed the last few tubes. _I'll free you all, I promise._

None of the other Toa seemed to care about it, and the last few tubes were soon left behind, and they entered another, darker zone. The floor was full of shattered glass, rocks and broken columns. It was one of the places where the creatures were often spotted, and so it had been abandoned from the Onu-Matoran. Lewa shook his head. Back in Le-Metru, they had practically been encircled by Rahi and other jungle creatures, and a visit like the ones here had been nearly part of the daily program. He just couldn't understand what was so different here.

The Toa paused a second to scoop up a couple of lightstones, then proceeded down to the abandoned zone of the archives. Here the silence was even more complete, though the darkness was still lit up by few streaks of lightstones engraved in the walls. But the dim light only provided more eeriness to the place, as it cast huge shadows on the walls, where they melted together to form larger ones and split up to become more. Lewa shuddered, it seemed as if there were eight shadows instead of seven, and even though he knew it were only light tricks, he couldn't resist the temptation to look backwards, but behind him was just darkness, crisscrossed by dim, glowing lines. He forced himself to look back forwards and follow the other Toa, who were moving rapidly.

Had he looked just a second more, he would've seen how a shadow split from the other seven as they walked on, and had he followed the shadow, he would've seen how it disappeared in the darkness of a hole in the ceiling, where two shocking purple dots were glowing: eyes. The owner of those eyes stared after them for a while, until they disappeared round a bend, then it scuttled silently after them, careful not to be noticed.

They had been walking for quite a while, when Tahu, who was on the lead, broke the silence.

"Has any of you thought that maybe it wasn't the creatures that kidnapped the Matoran?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. The other Toa stared at him.

"Who else?" Pohatu asked with a shrug. Tahu merely shrugged back.

"I don't know, maybe the Leehar..." he suggested.

"The Leehar?" asked Onua, frowning. "But they're gone! They ran away through the Tikohl, remember?"

"Maybe they came back," suggested Lewa, who seemed to like the idea that it might not be the creatures that had kidnapped the Matoran.

"How?" asked Onua. "We broke the Tikohl barely a week later, and it had always been under control until then. We would've known if they had come back."

Gali shook her head. "As much as I hate the idea that the Leehar could be here, now, we must not exclude this possibility... and be ready for it."

Onua couldn't help but notice how dangerous and cold her voice had become with the last few words. It wasn't only her, all of the Toa's faces had darkened, and he himself felt a silent anger rise inside him as he thought of what the Leehar had done... or what they hadn't.

"We're there," said Kopaka curtly, pointing to the three dark openings in front of them. Here, the last bits of lightstones strands disappeared, and the tunnel split in three. Originally, this had probably been a large chamber, and the tunnels had served to reach various zones of the archives faster, but now, it was just a larger cave with three openings that started from it. It was here, where the Toa had always stopped pursuing the creatures the other times. And now, their search was going to start from here.

"Okay," said Tahu. "Onua, Gali and Lewa can take the right tunnel, Takanuva and Kopaka the left one and I'll go in the middle one with Pohatu."

The only answer were a couple of silent nods from the others. Then, each group took a lightstone, and the headed down the tunnels. Only a few seconds after the last Toa had disappeared down the tunnels, an eighth figure scuttled in the cavern. It searched the room with its purple eyes shortly, before quietly scuttling down the left tunnel.

Tahu hadn't chosen the groups casually. He had made sure that in each group there was someone who either had the power to create a source of light, or someone who could see well in the dark. A wise decision, as it turned out. Lewa, Gali and Onua had just turned around the first bend, when they found a huge pile of rubble blocking their way. After trying to go round it without success, the Toa were forced to throw away the lightstone and climbed over it. It wasn't an easy climb, as the rubble often slipped under their feet, making them tumble back down. Of all the Toa, Gali was the one having most trouble, as she was neither a good climber, nor could she see well in the dark. In the end, Lewa had to help her the way up. It was a relief when they finally reached the top.

As they stopped a second to catch their breath, Onua shot a glance at what lay before them... and his mouth dropped open. The tunnel before them was covered in broken chunks of rocks and shattered glass. He could even see holes here and there. Strange creatures climbed up and down the piles of dirt and rocks, and he could hear many sounds that didn't belong to Toa or Matoran. It couldn't have been more obvious that they had left the repaired area of the archives. That in front of them was a wild zone.

"What?" asked Lewa.

"Look your..." he stopped remembering that his two companions didn't have his night vision. "There's rubble, broken glass... **everywhere**! It's as if there never was anything here... except a large tunnel."

"Yeah, that's what happens when nobody tidies-cleans up," joked Lewa. Onua, though, looked thoughtfully at the two other Toa.

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to go on..." he started.

"Not-never!" exclaimed Lewa. "Either all three, or nobody."

Gali nodded, but Onua shook his head.

"No offense, but you'd only be in the way. I'll go alone." he finished firmly.

The look on Lewa's face told him that the green Toa **was **offended, but Onua knew him well enough not to care. Ignoring Lewa's angry glances, he turned around and made his way to the bottom of the tunel: half walking, half slipping down the pile of rubble. He had nearly reached the end, when he definitely slipped and tumbled to the ground. He landed face forwards in a zone full of small glass shards, which cut into his hands as he reached forwards to stop his fall. He could hear Lewa snigger from the top of the mountain. Ignoring him, he pushed himself up, rubbing his hands free of a couple of glass shards that had stuck to them. Then he set off to continue his exploration.

For a long time, nothing happened. Onua just walked on and on in the dark tunnels, straining to hear a sound that might belong to the creatures. But nothing was to be heard from them. Not that there wasn't any kind of life form in the archives! No, there were all sorts of creatures scuttling up and down the rubble that lay all around him. Some were even bold enough to run between his feet or climb up his legs. But none of them was larger than a hand span, and none of them were the ones he was looking for. It was strange, because normally the creatures always turned up, even when you didn't need them.

Suddenly, he stopped. In the air was now a new sound. A well-known, familiar sound, yet he hadn't heard it for a long time. It was the sound of the earth rolling and moving, shifting and turning. The sound of a coming earthquake. The creatures around his crawled away to safety, hiding in their homes and shelters. They must have sensed it too.

And a few seconds later, the earthquake came, shaking the tunnel with a huge force. Rocks rained down on him from the ceiling, and one nearly hit him before he realized completely what was happening and jumped to the walls, where it was safer. Using his powers for that strip of wreck would just be a waste of energy.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the tunnel, and Onua's eyes flew wide open. Gali and Lewa! He concentrated, willing the earthquake to stop. Remembering the huge pile of rubble where they had stood, he felt his insides turn icy. And what if...

The earthquake stopped as quickly as it had come, leaving a deadly silence behind him. Without waiting, he ran back up the tunnel as fast as the rubble and the uneven terrain would permit him to. The silence certainly didn't mean anything good, and Lewa's muffled calls that broke through the air a second later seemed to prove it.

_Faster, faster, _thought Onua. He jumped over a large rock, slipping on the glassy shards that littered the ground as he landed. The entrance was straight ahead, he knew it. He just had to turn around that bend...

And stopped dead in horror as he saw the disaster that the earthquake had caused.

XXXXX

Kopaka pushed himself over the large stone in his way and crashed to the ground on the other side. Groaning, he looked up just in time to see Takanuva land neatly next to him.

"Are you alright Kopaka?" he asked. Kopaka shot him an angry glare and stood up, then looked forward in the darkness.

"How about some light?" he asked. Takanuva obediently raised his staff to project some light in the tunnel before them. And what they saw made both their mouths drop open.

"No way!" exclaimed Takanuva. "This gotta be a sort of bad joke!"

The tunnel in front of them was full of rocks and glass shatters, like any other abandoned zone of the archives, but in the middle of the rubble, was a large passageway that led down the tunnel and disappeared behind a bend. Takanuva moved his staff around as if it was a torch to see their surroundings. Nothing moved around the large piles of rubble, it seemed as if they were the only living things in this place.

"Where do you reckon it leads to?" Takanuva asked, pointing at the passageway.

Kopaka shrugged. "There's only one way to find out," he said, heading down the tunnel. Takanuva hesitated a second, then followed him, the sound of his steps resounding through the empty hallway as he walked around the bend.

For a while, they just walked on. Whoever had created the passage had done a good job, stapling the dirt and rocks to the sides so that they wouldn't fall in the middle of the way. A well done work, no doubt about that, and it was exactly this what annoyed Kopaka. This hadn't been the creatures, he didn't need Onua or Pohatu to see that. These had been Matoran… or Toa. He suddenly remembered Gali's words, and instinctually, his hand went to his sword. The Leehar….

Suddenly, a strong earthquake hit the area, sending both Toa off their feet. Takanuva's staff rolled away, leaving them in nearly complete darkness. Kopaka looked up just in time to see something collapse on them. He grabbed Takanuva and dragged him away with him a second before something large and heavy crashed to the ground. All around them, the dirt piled up was swaying dangerously. Threatening to bury them under itself. The work hadn't been done that well after all.

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the earthquake stopped, leaving an eerie silence behind. Kopaka blinked in the darkness and looked around for Takanuva's staff. But all he could see was darkness and darker outlines, probably of fallen rocks. But there was no trace of something that might be Takanuva's staff. He turned to the golden Toa, who was also looking for his staff, it didn't seem as if he was having more luck than him though.

"Say, your mask used to glow, can't it do it again?" asked Kopaka sharply, even though he had just come to the idea. Takanuva gave him a short look and shrugged.

"Doesn't seem so... but maybe I can activate my staff from here and..."

"Then do it!" snapped Kopaka. Takanuva hesitated a second, then seemed to concentrate. A dim glower diffused through the cavern, and the two Toa were able to spot the staff, lying between some fallen rocks not far from them. Takanuva walked forwards and bent down to grab it, but he had just touched it, when he heard a sound. A soft, calm breathing... right over him!

Slowly, he looked up... and screamed in surprise when he saw the shocking purple dots over him.

"What?"

Takanuva didn't even hear Kopaka, he tried to stand up and back away, but tripped over a stone and slammed hard against the ground, his staff flew once again away from his hands. The creature recoiled with a sharp hiss, then jumped down before him. Takanuva tried to grab his staff to point it at the thing in front of him, but before he could even touch it, the thing spat a sizzling something at him, and Takanuva felt a fierce pain spread through his body.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before: every limb of his body was burning. Knives were cutting into his chest. He couldn't breathe, his lungs were like full of ice, so cold that it burned. His head felt like it would explode any second, just to feel like squashed a moment later. A horrible scream was piercing his ears, and he didn't know whether it was him screaming or whether it was just an illusion. Kopaka was saying something, but he couldn't hear, and a second later he too was lying on the ground, twitching horribly besides him. Takanuva's view faded to black and cleared again as the pain became worse, consuming him from the inside. He was struggling not to let go, though every part of his mind told him to do so, because somehow he knew, that if he let go, it would be the end.

* * *

- 

Sorryyyyy! I tried to stay in time, but didn't make it! I'm trying to update once a week (yeah right), but something always seems to get in between. Plus, I recently get distracted damned easily, and so... then I wanted to make this chapter worth the wait... result? Even more wait! ''':-) (hope that does for sweatdrops) Anyway, I hope you won't have to wait that long for the next chapter... though I have my doubts. For one, I'm having a couple of tests next week. For another, the week after I'm away. Maybe I'll write faster once away, you just hope for that.

And, by the way: there's a movie quote in this chapter... who can spot it? (hints at the end for who can't)

Now, to my reviewers...:

**Regrem Erutaerc: **Quick information as usual... okay, you're my official Bionicle information source:-) So, if Onepu was his second, then Taipu was the strong guy. Okay. So I didn't make any mistake... I hope... Pohatu? swimming lessons? Hadn't thought about that. Yeah, probably... or used to, before he became a Toa. hmmm, gotta remember that, it could turn out useful... Hehe, the 'cute French'...(probably no one's understanding what I'm blabbing about. The fact is, that i had fun imagining where each Toa would come from if they were sent to earth. And... go on, you can guess the last bit :)

**Slythergrl2004: **That the answer to my question? Yeah, the creatures... so you don't think it was them, right? Lhikan? Uuuuuuuuuh... (just kidding, i sorta got that one out)

**ToaMaster: **Ilag? What about her? Hehe.Okay, if I'm way behind, then YOU tell me how I see anything except black boxes! The song? No idea, I wouldn't put question marks if I knew it. Is that: for Slythergrl review all for Slythergrl or is that thing about your mind blowing up for me? -confused- And WHICH first story? Because if you mean the lhikan thing and my first story, then I understand even less. Where exactly did I explain something in the first story? -even more confused-

**ToaLhikan: **I liked Lhikanliveson better... So I'm NOT the only one who noticed that Vakama and Nokama and most other metru are more good-looking than the nuva...


	5. Trouble

Dislclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine. The thingy that attacked Kopaka and Takanuva is. And don't you even TRY and use it. Especially not before you even know what it is.

**Trouble**

The pain cris-crossed his body, becoming worse every second that passed. Now his bones were like on fire, and the ice in his lungs had become liquid steel. His mind had sort of blanked out, leaving behind only a small, shrill voice that pierced his brain. It was screaming at him to let go, that it was no use fighting, the pain would just go on. It was no use resisting, it was better to give up, let go...

"Mata Nui! What's... Takanuva! Kopaka!"

To Kopaka, those words were just a sound without sense, that lost themselves in the waves of pain and fear he was feeling. Another sound, a thumping one this time. Then, two powerful hands packed his shoulders and pulled him up. Electric bolts seemed to shoot out of them and into his already tortured body, summing themselves to the pain. He tried to hit his aggressor, but he didn't even know where he was. Another shout. Not from him, or from Takanuva. And then...

As quickly as it had come, the pain stopped, leaving dark clouds in his mind and before his eyes. Kopaka shook his head, trying to get rid of them. Someone was talking to him, but he couldn't really understand who it was or what he was saying. He shook his head again, and this time, the clouds drifted away. His view cleared to reveal Pohatu looking at him with concern.

"Brother, are you alright? Brother?"

"I..." croaked Kopaka. He suddenly realized that he was hanging limply in Pohatu's arms and tried to stand up, but his knees buckled and gave away.

"Leave that," said Pohatu, letting Kopaka slip to the ground so that he could, at least, pull himself up in a kneeling position. "Just try again later... what happened? You looked like you were being tortured!"

"I felt like that too," said Kopaka quietly.

XXXXX

"A large thing with purple eyes?" repeated Vakama. It was now nearly evening, and the Toa had gone back to their Metru, to rest and to inform their Turaga about what had happened.

"Yes," answered Tahu. "And it attacked Kopaka and Takanuva."

Vakama shot a short glance to the golden Toa, who nodded shortly. He hadn't talked much since the other Toa had found him and Kopaka in the tunnel, screaming with pain and twitching horribly on the ground.

"Would you tell me what it did?" Vakama asked Takanuva.

"It, well... it dropped from the ceiling, out of nowhere... and then it..." said Takanuva, fighting to find words.

"You don't have to tell it again if you don't want to," said Tahu, placing a hand on his shoulder. Even though a long time had passed since Takua had become Takanuva, the golden Toa was still new on most things that involved being a Toa. After all, they had had little or nothing to do ever since they had come back from Metru Nui, and despite his outside change, Takua was still Takua. It had been a hard blow for him. And that without counting his worries about Jaller.

The Toa of Light shot a thankful look at Tahu, but Vakama shook his head sternly. "I wish to know exactly what happened... and I doubt Toa Tahu can tell me that."

Tahu started to protest, but Takanuva shook his head, and when Tahu saw the look in Vakama's eyes, he too shut his mouth. There was something in there that acted like an alarm bell in his mind, but he couldn't tell what it was. Resignedly, Takanuva sighed and strained to remember. He tried to keep the story as short as possible, but Vakama kept asking for details that Tahu found completely unnecessary – without mentioning cruel. It was clear that Takanuva wanted to forget what had happened as quickly as possible, and even though Tahu knew that Takanuva was going to have to face what had happened sooner or later, he wanted to leave him some time to get over the worse of it, at least.

"And then it spat something painful at us," finished Takanuva. The words sounded stupid the moment they left his mouth, and he got ready for another question from Vakama's side. But the old Turaga seemed to finally have enough about it and merely nodded.

"Well, you may go now," he said. The two Toa nodded and made to go away, relieved that it was over. But Vakama held them back. "Only Takanuva. You, Tahu, I wish you stay here."

Tahu stared at him for a second, confused. Then, he shrugged and walked back into the room. Noticing that Takanuva wasn't going, he paused a second to give him a short nod.

"Go along, I'll come in a second,"

Takanuva hesitated a second more, then walked out of the hut. Vakama waited until the door had closed shut before turning to Tahu.

"So, Turaga?" The red Toa asked.

"A long time ago, when we were still on Mata Nui," said Vakama. "I gave you the Mask of Time. Now, I wish you return it to me."

Tahu frowned. "What? But why?"

"There's no reason for you to keep it anymore," answered Vakama simply. "The Vahi has served its duty."

"I'm afraid I don't understand Turaga," said Tahu, shaking his head. Vakama sighed.

"Tahu, I know you're a strong and powerful leader, and that you're perfectly capable of keeping the power of time under control. But, the fact is that the mask has fulfilled its duty, there's no need to keep it anymore, because you'll never need it again. And it is too dangerous to keep carrying around. As far as we know, Makuta might still be after it."

Tahu was about to suggest to destroy the mask directly, at this point, but Vakama interrupted him bifore he could say a word.

"It's no use arguing, Tahu," he said. "And now, give me the mask."

Tahu shot Vakama and angry look for being interrupted, then yanked the mask off his face in frustration, and handed it to Vakama. The red Turaga took it from his hand and looked up at him with a smile. But the same smile faded off his face when he saw the look on Tahu's face.

"Well, you may go now," said Vakama, slightly offended. Tahu turned around and made to go away, and he had nearly reached the door when Vakama remembered something. "Oh, and Tahu?"

Tahu gritted his teeth, hand already on the door, and bit back the sharp "What now?" that lied on his tongue. Calling up all his patience, he waited for Vakama to say something.

"Don't forget," said the old Turaga. "That a Toa's duty is towards the Matoran, not himself. And that if Toa fail, there will always be someone to replace them."

XXXXX

Takanuva walked away from the hut and towards his house. In any other time, he would've been curious about what Vakama had to say to Tahu, but today, he only wanted to be alone and think things over. Jaller, the creatures, the purple-eyed thing and Vakama kept chasing each other in his mind, so that he couldn't tell what was what. He grabbed his head, trying to put some order in his mind, but as hard as he tried, those thoughts just kept flashing randomly in his head.

Vakama...

Jaller...

The purple eyes...

The creatures...

Jaller ...

"Toa Takanuva!" called a voice. Takanuva didn't have to turn around to see who it was.

"Hi, Hahli," he said with a forced smile, turning around. And indeed, the pretty chronicler was jogging up to him.

"I... I was passing by and... well, I heard that... I wanted to know... oh man!" stuttered Hahli. She shook her head in an irritated way and looked up at Takanuva. "I know what the Turaga want you to do."

Takanuva's smile faded away. "Oh." was all he could say. Hahli looked up at him with pleading eyes. He knew perfectly well what she wanted, and he knew he could've given her the answer she wanted any time. But, for some reason, he held back. He trusted the Matoran no to tell anyone about what they were doing, yet he too, for a short time, had been an outlaw, and now that he was doing something against the word of the Turaga again, he suddenly felt that he couldn't trust anybody.

But he also didn't want to disappoint completely the young Matoran.

"Hahli..." he started. "Listen, we're doing our best. But there's not much we can do against the Turagas' word. We just.."

"Why not?" interrupted him Hahli. "When Vakama was a Toa, he was against the whole Metru Nui! Why can't you go against the Turagas' word?"

"Because, Hahli, this time the Turaga aren't controlled by Makuta," said Takanuva quietly.

"So what? Vakama also didn't know that Dume was under Makuta's control! He just did what was best for all Matoran!" Hahli cried.

"You heard what he said about the Matoran," answered Takanuva, without being able to hide the bitter undertone that marked his words.

"Yes, I did," answered Hahli sharply. "And you actually listen to that?"

"No, but..."

"What Vakama said is just a bunch of crap!" screamed Hahli, so loudly that some passing Matoran turned to look. "You should be looking for the missing Matoran instead of standing back and doing what the Turaga tell you! You would've done it once!"

"Hahli, I can't just leave the Toa and..."

"Why not?" she cried, sounding steadily more hysterical. "Mat Nui... Jaller is your friend! He's your friend, and you're letting him die!"

"NO!" shouted Takanuva, grabbing the small Matoran tightly by the shoulders. Hahli flinched, and Takanuva released his grip slightly. "Hahli, you have to trust us... you have to trust **me!"**

Hahli looked at him, she didn't seem convinced.

"Hahli, please..."

"Anything wrong?" interrupted them Tahu's voice. Takanuva looked up to see the fiery Toa standing over him, and he didn't seem in a good mood.

"No, nothing," said Hahli bitterly, then she pulled herself out of Takanuva's grip and ran away.

"What's up with her?" asked Tahu, looking after the pretty Matoran.

"She's upset because of Jaller, and because I'm not looking for him" said Takanuva, standing up. "And I don't blame her," he added with a short look in the direction she had ran away.

Tahu seemed as if he wanted to add something to it, but changed his mind.

"Not to sound like I don't care about it but... we have other problems," he said. "**Serious **problems**,"**

**

* * *

**Sorry for the long delays. I'm really damned busy in these days, so I only find time at weekends to write. And then, obviously, my brother and sister are using the computer I'm working at. (we have two, except that everyone goes on one, and I bet that if I start using the other one, everyone will go on that one) I don't know if you noticed, but we're not allowed to answer reviews anymore, not in chapters.So yes, I'll stop answering too. Sorry, but I don't want to be chucked out just to tell Slythergrl that it's the Not-Never quote, and that I forgot the hints where I specified the movie. Or to tell Regrem Erutaerc that I hadn't thought of that X-ray thingy, and that Onua's mask power is strength and not night vision. :) And I was nearly forgetting... maybe it'd be useful if you used punctuation dragon goddess, I'm having problems understanding your reviews. ;)

What are yous staring at? Oh yeah, we have a newcomer! Welcome, ToaNova. Yep, yes and I hope I'm gonna read from you... then we have two well-known reviewers that returned! As you see, fredd, nothing really. And I hope ceestar isn't going to strangle me after the last chapter.

Oh, just for the record, I'm glad that there are even more black boxes at Bionicle. com, but I don't understand what's so interesting in it... actually, thanks to my new computer, i can actually see what's happening at Bionicle. com! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Nothing interesting there.

Ah, and I'm not giving around my e-mail adress for a while, especially not now that we have PM's. ;-)

Okay, now seriously. I'm gonna have to think of something since I normally answer to everyone even when I answer to a single review. Besides, I find sending around five PMs per chapter when it takes two or three minutes for my computer just for one quite annoying. If you add that every two PMs my computer crashes and I get these "Not Responding" messages on the top bar (which mean as much as: Sorry, Netscape is too tired to work, please don't get angry, but you're going to have to write thi all over again.) Yeah, well...

I'm gonna think of something.

Oh, and I haven't seen Bionicle 3 yet. My bro is getting it for christmas, I think. 


	6. Archive Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle... Doomtoran of Voya Nui, island of doom! You still have to meet Miko Nui, island of death! Mwahahahahahaha! (everyone: WTF?) Ahem, I wish you a merry christmas, I wish you a merry christmas...

**Archive Nightmares**

The archives were finally repaired. Whenua could hardly believe it. He had waited years for this moment to arrive, but now that it had come, he was afraid to ruin it.

He stood in front of the entrance, hesitating. Then, he took a deep breath and walked inside... and had to gasp at what he saw.

The Matoran had done an excellent work, the new archives looked just like the ones he knew when he was an archivist himself. Behind him, the door he had come through closed silently, cutting out every sound that came from outside, and plummeting him into a nearly complete silence. He didn't care, he liked it better that way.

It was like traveling back in time. With every step he took, he had the feeling to go further back. Back to the arrival of the Toa Olda. Back to when Onu-Koro had been built. To the awakening of the Matoran. To the Hordika. The Toa Metru, and...

He stopped.

In front of him was something that didn't seem to belong there. An old, dirty mirror, cracked at some points. A quiet, unnatural tune seemed to come from the strange object. Frowning, he stepped closer, projecting his shadow against the glass. Misty swirls of gray danced behind its cracked surface, and the mirror itself seemed surrounded by a cold aura. Something seemed to be missing, but he couldn't quite tell what.

When he finally realized what it was, he jumped back in horror. The mirror didn't reflect his image!

A quiet, scuttling noise caught his attention. Whenua spun around, still under shock because of the missing reflection. Something was crabbling at him through the darkness. Something flat and square. Thanks to his Noble Kanohi, he could see what it was: krana!

A second noise made him turn his head. Another krana was slowly crawling toward him from the right. Another noise, to his left. Another krana!

More and more of the ugly parasites came crawling out of the darkness, crabbling towards him, unstoppable. Whenua gasped. He was surrounded! He tried waving his staff at them, but the krana just kept walking on. A silent army of enslaved parasites. Like in trance, he started backing away. Slowly, step after step, even through he knew it was pointless. He could already feel the mirror's cold aura on his back. Soon he was going to be with his back against it. For some reason, the idea filled him with even more fear.

The tune he had heard before rang in his ears. He knew that this was the Toas' fault. It was their job to make sure the archives were safe! It was only because of their laziness that he was in danger. Because they hadn't listened to him!

The tune became louder, turned into a wordless song. It swept through the air, and hit the krana. Promptly, like it was a signal, the army started to retreat.

Whenua smiled and stepped forward. The song followed him, making the parasites retreat more and more. Whenua could've sworn he could read fear on their expressionless faces. As quickly as they had come, the krana disappeared. Hiding in small cracks in the walls. Hiding from him.

As he walked on, he realized that something was floating in front of him. At first, it looked more like a shadow than anything else, but as he got nearer, it slowly started to take shape. The black blob it had been became round and flat, and a hole appeared at its center. Whenua tried to grab it, but his fingers went through the object as if it was nothing more than what it seemed: shadows. Frowning, he lowered his hand.

The transformation went on. The edges changed from completely round to slightly uneven, and gained texture. Then, all of a sudden, the disc stopped hovering and fell. Whenua caught it. When he looked at what lied in his hand, he saw a round, black stone with a hole in the middle, no larger than his hand. It was glowing of a warm, black light.

At the same time, the song stopped.

A large figure walked out of the hut, where Turaga Whenua was now dreaming peacefully. It made sure no one was looking, then it quickly scuttled up the walls of a nearby building. Still not content, it ran sideways across the wall and into a dark alley, where it mixed with the other shadows. Then, it made its way to its next objective: Nuju.

XXXXX

CRACK!

Hahli jumped as another piece of glass broke under her feet. This had to be at least the seventeenth time it happened, yet she still hadn't gotten used to it. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She had never been a nervous kind of Matoran. Shy, but not nervous. Why did she suddenly have to be so jumpy?

Maybe it was the the place. The shattered glass, the broken rocks that littered the ground, the chirping of the small cave creatures that lived there... it all combined to form a creepy atmosphere, that gave the place a sense of abandon like she had never felt even on Mata Nui. It was as if the archives had never existed. This place was just wreck.

Or maybe -- but Hahli hoped it wasn't so – it were the shadows.

Hahli had left behind the "safe" area of the archives long ago. She had taken the same tunnel the Toa had walked through that morning, as she knew that it had been there where the creatures had been spotted most often. With her, she had taken only some food and a small lightstone. She had wanted to take along a dagger or something at first, but she wouldn't have known how to use it, so she had left it home. Now, she wished she hadn't. Carrying a weapon would've given her at least a sense of security, even if she couldn't use it. But this way, she felt hopeless and afraid.

She walked out of the tunnel and into a larger, even more wrecked chamber. Three tunnels started from it and went even deeper into the archives. Hahli hesitated. Which one should she take? As far as she knew, the Toa had never gone over this point, so each one was just as good as the other.

In an attempt to get a half idea of where to go, she walked up to the left tunnel. What she saw cleared away all her doubts.

Someone had been in this tunnel. And this someone had stapled the dirt and the stones neatly to the sides, creating a large passageway in the middle, where one could walk through without having to climb over broken rocks and glass shatters. Only a few stones here and there littered the passageway, and they looked as if they had fallen there recently. Her curiousness awakened, Hahli walked inside the tunnel.

On and on she walked. The dark corridor was full of twists and turns, and soon she couldn't tell where she was anymore. Whether she was still on Metru Nui, or whether she was already walking under the silver sea. The twists also seemed to have a distorting effect on time. It seemed to her as if she had been walking for hours, even though she was sure it was only a few minutes. Yet, she wouldn't have been able to say how much time it actually was.

The darkness had increased noticeably since she had entered the tunnel, become more oppressing, as if it was thickening to create an invisible barrier against her. And if her eyes and her mind weren't tricking her, then her lightstone had dimmed, as if the shadows were slowly taking over it. Her nervousness had also increased, turning to fear.

She stopped and looked around, the blackness around her sent a chill down her spine. Quickly, she looked back at her lightstone, determined not to be intimidated by... whatever was out there. She refused to admit **what **it was that scared her, because she knew that if it was really so, if it were really the shadows that filled her with fear, well...

CRRRACKKK!

Hahli gasped in fright and turned around as the sound of breaking glass echoed through the hall. She had expected the shadows to cut off any sound just like it cut out the light. But she had heard the noise loudly and clearly, as if it came from just around the bend.

And this time, it hadn't been her.

She held up her lightstone and stood very still, listening at the sounds of the tunnel. At first, she couldn't hear anything, just the sound of her own breath and her heart beating. Then after what seemed hours, she heard it.

A loud, thumping noise, distorted by its own echo: footsteps! And they were near, maybe even just behind the bend. Hahli spun around and ran away, down the hall, around a bend, to the right, to the left... the sound followed her, came nearer, distorted and magnified by the echo and the many turns. She could hear it as if the source of the noise was just behind her. Heavy, slow footsteps, of someone who wasn't in a hurry, who knew it was going to get her anyway, no matter how fast she ran.

A small stone made her trip and fall. Her lightstone rolled away and disappeared, swallowed by the darkness. She hit the ground, and when she pushed herself up, the sound was louder than ever before. With a small cry, she jumped up and ran on blindly in the darkness.

Soon she crashed against a wall and fell, losing precious seconds. She looked around frantically, not knowing which way she should go. A thundering sound made her spin around. For a second, the sound of footsteps was not to be heard, then it started again, even louder. Panicking, Hahli ran back toward the wall and started feeling her way along it, running at top speed as she did so.

It didn't take long before her run was blocked away. This time by a tall, flat wall. No matter how much she felt around, all she felt were walls. Rocky walls, smooth walls, crumbling walls, the only free way was the one she had come from, and the footsteps now literally thundered through the hall.

Whining, Hahli frantically looked around, trying to find something that hinted to a way out. A darker zone, a light between the shadows. But all she could spot as she looked upwards was blackness, so complete she wondered whether there actually was something there. She looked back forward, and only casually spotted the soft ray of light that leaked from a tiny fissure at her feet.

Desperate, Hahli dropped to her knees and felt the ground around her. There where the fissure was, it went up straight and formed the smooth wall that had stopped her run before. Except that it wasn't a wall – as she suddenly realized -- it was a door!

A door? What the heck as a door doing down...

The thumping sound of the footsteps brought her abruptly back to reality. With a soft gasp, she started feeling around for a handle. Her fingers moved over the surface frantically, felt every small crack, every bump, but they didn't find the handle. As panic threatened to take over her once again, she raised her hands and felt over her head. The footsteps echoed loudly through the tunnel, and she was sure she could feel the ground vibrating under her feet. She searched faster.

And there, right above her head, was a thick, round ring. She grabbed it and tried to turn it, and to her surprise and relief, it moved under the pressure of her hands. With a soft cry of joy, she turned the ring faster.

Finally, the ring was all the way around, and the door opened just enough for her to dig her fingers in the small fissure that had appeared and pull. The large stone door moved silently for a few millimeters. It was heavier than she had thought, built for Toa, not small Matoran like her. She whined and tugged harder at the door, and this time, she managed to open it wide enough for her to go through. Without hesitating, she slipped through.

After the complete darkness she had experienced in the tunnel, the dim light in the room nearly blinded her. Shading her eyes against it, she looked around just to realize that her situation hadn't become any better.

The door led to a large, rock littered room. The light itself came from what seemed like a very large lightstone in the middle of the room. Yet one vital thing was missing: a way out.

An air movement behind her made her turn around, and she realized that the door was slowly opening. Her follower had reached her.

Without any better idea, she jumped behind the first stone she could find and curled up in a ball behind it, listening carefully. She heard how her follower walked inside the room and mumbled something under his breath. Then, she heard how he or she closed the door and turned the handle, blocking it, and then, incredibly slowly, how they turned around and headed toward the center of the room. She could even hear the sound of their breathing.

Hahli closed her eyes and pleaded for her follower not to find her.

XXXXX

"Toa Pohatu! Toa Pohatu wake up!" a voice interrupted Pohatu's dreaming. The Toa of Stone yawned and looked down at the Matoran who had waked him up.

"Wasizit, Hafu?" he asked, still half sleeping. He had no idea what time it was, but he wanted to sleep.

"Turaga Onewa wants to talk to you! Along with the other Turaga!" said Hafu. Pohatu shot a short glance outside and realized it was still dark. He dug his face in his bed with a groan. Last night he had checked each entrance of the archives situated in his Metru and made sure that each one was locked, and on his way to the last one, he had encountered a couple of Kane Ra bulls that had suddenly decided to charge everything in sight... including him. And since he couldn't risk accidentally hurting one of the many curious Matoran that had gathered around the scene, it had taken him some time to 'get hold of them and get some reason in their horned heads'. Which meant as much as 'beating them up until they couldn't cause anymore harm'. Now, the last thing he wanted was a talk with the Turaga.

"Tell him that if it's about the missing Matoran or that we aren't doing our work properly, then..."

"It is about the other missing Matoran, and it is about you not doing your work properly," interrupted a voice from the hut door. Pohatu turned his head and spotted Turaga Onewa standing on the door frame, looking at him with an annoyed expression. Pohatu growled.

"Tell me, Turaga, what is the point of sending a Matoran to wake me up if you then come personally?"

"Actually, I've been here all the time, I just thought you'd listen to a Matoran rather than me," said the brown Turaga. Pohatu grumbled something and rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, let me tell you that another two Matoran have disappeared last night," continued Onewa. Pohatu suddenly stopped rubbing his eyes and looked around at the Turaga. Every trace of sleepiness had disappeared from his face.

"Who?" he asked.

"Hahli, from Ga-Metru..."

"I know where she..."

"..and Hewkii," Onewa went on, ignoring Pohatu. The Toa of Stone stopped in the middle of the phrase and stared at Turaga Onewa. "Yes, Hewkii," he repeated. "Now, if you would take your Ilsao and follow me to Vakama's hut..."

Pohatu was up in a question of seconds.

XXXXX

The Turaga didn't look very happy when the Toa arrived, especially not Nokama. Pohatu had the feeling that this wasn't going to be a nice talk. He got ready to let half of what the Turaga were saying flow over him, but Vakama's first words made him change his mind.

"I had warned you, Tahu," he said softly. Tahu's face changed from bored to shocked to angry.

"What now?" he asked. "I haven't done anything! Nor have any of the others!"

"That's exactly the point," said Nokama softly. "You didn't do anything. And because of your laziness, two more Matoran have disappeared!"

"Laziness?" asked Pohatu. "Excuse me, but we checked all the archive entrances yesterday and made sure they were locked. I even had to talk sense to a couple of crazed Kane Ra bulls on the way! So if you want to call someone lazy, then..."

"Thanks, Pohatu," said Onewa. "But that's not what we wanted to talk about."

"No?"

"No," agreed Matau. "It's about yesterday. You said you didn't discoveredfound any creature, but no little-less than ten Matoran told us that they had seen-spotted the creatures that day."

"What?" asked Takanuva.

"And," added Whenua. "None of the archivists have seen you go down."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me," said Onua. "There was no one else in the archives apart from us."

"We know," said Lhikan. "They're all afraid of being kidnapped the creatures. They won't even go down there with Vahki escort. Still, no one even saw you _enter_, the archives."

"_You shut up!" _hissed the strange voice that Onua had already heard before. _"Your word is nothing but lies!"_

Onua looked around, but once again, it seemed as if he was the only one to hear it. And once again, there was no one to be seen.

"Well, we were down there!" protested Tahu. "Kopaka and Takanuva even got attacked!"

"Yes, I you already told me," said Vakama. "Except that from what Nuju tells me, Kopaka hasn't mentioned the attack to him. And Takanuva looked fit to me when you returned from your 'mission'."

"Yes, I know, Turaga," said Takanuva with a sigh. "I can't explain it myself, but I swear I really got attacked, and so has Kopaka. By..."

"A thing with purple eyes," finished Lhikan. "We know. Except that Whenua here has never heard of a creature with purple eyes in his whole life."

"_But you have, haven't you? You know exactly what that thing is, I can tell!"_

Onua once again looked around, but didn't see anything. Was he going crazy?

"But we didn't lie!" protested Takanuva. Kopaka nodded.

"It's true," he said. "We were both attacked... I saw how the creature fell over Takanuva first, and then attacked me."

"Anyway," continued Lhikan, giving no sign that he had heard what the Toa had said. "We have decided that, for the sake of Metru Nui, it's best if you pass on your power to someone else."

"WHAT?" cried the Toa in unison.

"Exactly," said Nuju. The Toa, and even the Turaga, turned around in surprise as they heard him talk. "Dark times lay ahead. We can't permit the defense of Metru Nui to waver."

"But we... we never..." sputtered Tahu. He turned to Vakama. "Turaga, you surely don't think it the same way?"

Onua had been waiting for the voice to speak, and indeed, it came.

"_No! Vakama don't!"_

"Yes," said Vakama. "And now, Toa, hand us the Ilsao."

* * *

-

Okay, so between today and yesterday, I broke about ten personal records. I finished a picture that I had started about two months ago as an extra for last time, did a Christmas card three weeks late and lost it. I finished this chapter at record speed (that i hadn't made since the beginning of HotP) after two weeks i had started it, wrote Christmas e-mails, answered to ALL PMs and put a "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" underneath each of them...

and last, i made it without singing a carol until today! Weeeeeeeeeeee!

So, I wrote this chapter, and hung a little extra that ( if everything goes well) you can find in my profile. It was meant for last time but I found myself having to finish and color it between yesterday, so i didn't get it as dark as i wanted and had the scanner to do it. ( also, i wanted to hang also a Christmas card but lost it. Sorry. If i don't get in in my profile you can find it under maj _dot_ com. Profile name: cat-thef13.

So, all that can be reassumed easily in: I WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A NEW YEAR FULL OF CATS!

Feline Freak


	7. Runaway

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine. Warning: long chapter, printing recommended.

**Runaway**

The blinding light that had filled the chamber a few minutes ago had dimmed back to the uneven glower of a lightstone. Hahli wasn't sure about what had happened after her follower had closed the door behind herself. All she knew was that at one point, the light coming from the lightstone had grown in intensity, and she had felt like all the energy was being sucked away from her. When the light had faded, she had found out that the stone she had been hiding behind had disappeared. Luckily, her follower had had her back turned on her, and she was able to hide again until her follower had left.

But not before she had taken notice that the back of her follower was of a dark blue, and that she was tall enough to be a Toa.

In fact, the aqua axes stripped to her back had made her think of Gali...

Still a bit shaken, she stood up and walked to the door. She hadn't found out anything, and now she just wanted to get out as fast as she could. It was just like she had guessed when she had pulled it open: made of stone, and built for Toa, not Matoran. The handle was a rusty piece of metal, that didn't look as if it would move easily. Still, she knew how easy it actually was to turn. She reached up for it and turned.

The handle moved only a few millimeters. Hahli frowned, then tried again, but without more success than the first time. Yet a just ten minutes ago it had worked perfectly...

Wondering what was going on there, Hahli tugged harder at the ring, and this time, it went all the way around. The door opened slightly, and when Hahli tried to push it open, she found that not only the handle had become harder to move. She had to push for a good five minutes before it moved, and even then it was only a few centimeters. By the time she had managed to create a passage large enough for her to go through, she was exhausted.

But what she saw on the other side was enough to wake her up. The tunnel she had come through had been piled with rocks and debris, and had been in no good state but now...

She blinked. The tunnel stayed as it was. Not old and dusty, but clean and like it had just been built. There was not a single rock on the ground, and bright pieces of lightstone were stuck in the walls and in the ceiling. Hahli shook her head, but everything stayed how it was. But this... this was impossible... how could the tunnel have changed so much in half an hour? Unless it wasn't the same tunnel...

As crazy as it seemed, it was the only possible answer. Her follower had teleported herself to this place, and accidentally carried Hahli with her! The blue Matoran couldn't help but smile. This little accident gave her a real chance to find Jaller! And with him, the other Matoran.

She shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other, then proceeded down the tunnel.

XXXXX

"_No!" _Onua heard the voice say. _"Vakama, you can't... you..." _It made a disgruntledsound, then there was silence.

"No way!" shouted Tahu.

"This is a joke, right?" asked Gali, her voice shaking slightly.

"No, it is no joke," said Nokama calmly. "Though I wish this wasn't necessary."

"But, Turaga..." started Gali.

"This isn't necessary!" exclaimed Takanuva, cutting off Gali. "Look, we can get this straight again. If a few of us stay here, and one or two go looking for the missing Matoran, then..."

"No!" interrupted Lhikan. "It's too late now, and if you don't want this to get worse, I recommend you to hand over the Ilsao now!" And he stretched out his hand, waiting. A tense moment passed, during which no one moved or said nothing.

"No," said Tahu firmly. Lhikan's hand dropped.

"As you wish," he said. "Then we'll have to force you."

"Lhikan!" exclaimed Nokama, shocked. Then she turned to the Toa. "Listen, I really wish this wasn't necessary! Really, I do. We talked about it, and..."

"It's no use, Nokama," interrupted her Onewa. "They already made their decision."

"Yes, that's right, Turaga," said Kopaka icily. "Because you obviously aren't in your right state of mind!"

Gali elbowed him sharply, but he ignored her and kept staring straight at Lhikan. Nuju shot him an icy glare, similar to his own, but Lhikan merely smirked.

"Oh, you don't know how wrong you are, Kopaka," he said, slowly advancing towards the Toa of Ice. "We're all perfectly sane... in fact, I can't recall ever thinking as clearly as now." His face hardened. "Give us the Ilsao, or else...!"

If Lhikan had been nearly as tall as Kopaka, the effect would've been intimidating, but this way, it was just ridiculous. None of the Toa, though, was in the mood for laughing. In fact, they were starting to get seriously worried.

"Turaga, stop this!" said Onua. "Someone's going to get hurt!"

"Onua's right," agreed Pohatu. "This can't end well!"

"Right," agreed Matau. "Especially not for you."

"Not for..." repeated Lewa. "Have you all gone crazy-mad?"

"Turaga, please!" pleaded Gali. "We don't want to hurt you."

"And you won't," said Lhikan. "I'm sure about that."

The Toa looked at each other. What was going on here? Had Makuta somehow driven the Turaga to madness? After all, they had known for long that Makuta wasn't dead, but merely defeated.

Lewa shot a glance at the Turaga, trying to spot anything something that would reveal Makuta's influence over them, but couldn't find anything. Those were just their old Turaga... on the point of going insane. The only one he wasn't sure about was Lhikan. After all, he didn't know him well enough to tell.

By now, the Turaga had gotten bored with the game. Lhikan, who had obviously taken lead, took another step forward.

"I'll count to three, and if you haven't given me the Ilsao by then, I'll make you. One..."

_Time to quickleave!_ thought Lewa. With a quick spin, he grabbed the door handle and thrust it open.

"Sorry, Turaga," he said. "But I don't think our time as Toa-heroes is over yet."

With that, he made to jump out of the hut, but stopped dead right outside the entrance. Pohatu, who had been just behind him, could only just stop himself from crashing into the green Toa.

"Lewa, what are you..." he froze. "Oh, frell!"

"As you see," said Matau, wearing a triumphant smile on his face, no different than the one Lewa had often seen. "We brought some old friends."

The hut was surrounded by at least a hundred Vahki patrol! The Toa just stared, mouths open.

"Get them," ordered Vakama.

Slowly, the Vahki started approaching, moving in to encircle the entrance and trap them. Lewa was the first to recover from the shock. He turned to Takanuva and grabbed his shoulder urgently.

"We must way-part! We meet at the hide-spot under the factory" he muttered to the golden Toa. "Give me a hand, Gali," he said then, grabbing the blue Toa's wrist and pulling her back into the hut.

"What's that crazy Toa trying to do?" asked Tahu.

"Uh..." was all Pohatu managed to say.

"Hey Vahki!" Lewa shouted from the other side of the hut. "Didn't you forget something? The back window maybe?"

"Come on, I'm sure you remember me somewhere! Or maybe the word _anhka_? Come and get me!" Gali shouted.

The Vahki looked at each other shortly, then, a good part of them headed towards the back of the hut, running to encircle the two Toa. Onua frowned, there were now less Vahki after them, but he couldn't see what Lewa had in mind. Then, suddenly, it came to him.

"He's trying to get us an easy escape!" he said.

"Really? Well, I think I can help that," said Pohatu as he started summoning a large rock between his hands, but Tahu grabbed his wrist and tried to pull it away.

"We don't need to escape," he said. "We can blast away those bits of metal at any time!"

"Yes," said Kopaka, pulling Tahu away from Pohatu. "But we won't."

"Stand back!" said Pohatu, placing the large rock on the ground and kicked it as hard as he could. The rock crashed into the Vahki lines, toppling the law enforcers over and making them crash into the ones standing next to them, creating a passage. Pohatu seized the chance and ran for it, kicking away any Vahki that stood in the way. Takanuva and Kopaka followed shortly. Onua paused a second to grab Tahu, who wasn't moving, and chased after the other three Toa, dragging the fire Toa along.

"Hey! Hey, let go of me!" shouted Tahu, trying to rip himself free. Onua ignored him and charged for the first few lines of Vahki. A couple of Nuhrakh jumped in their way, but were immediately cleared away by Onua's strong fist. Another two or three Vahki tried to go for Tahu, but were driven back by the flames of the angry Toa. It didn't take much until the Toa were safely on the other side and running for it.

"Where now?" asked Pohatu, in front of the others.

"Take a side road! Possibly with many twists!" Takanuva shouted form behind. He hesitated. "And head to the east-most part in Ta-Metru!"

"Why?"

"You'll see!"

Pohatu frowned, but shot down the first side road he could find and then east between two factories. The Vahki followed them.

XXXXX

A jet of light hit the roof right next to the Air Toa's feet. Alarmed, Lewa grabbed Gali and pulled her away and to the ground, just as another five beams collided on the spot where they had been standing a few seconds before. He saw the glint of another beam pass over them and rolled away. Okay, maybe they had played around a bit too much.

"I think it's getting time to quickrun," he said, standing up. Gali was already checking the window.

"It's closed!" she said. Lewa cursed under his breath, he should have imagined that. He looked around for an escape way.

"On the roof!" he said, jumping onto the hut with the agility of a monkey. But if he had hoped to find the other side still Vahki-free, he was to be disappointed. The Vahki had quickly surrounded the whole hut, determined not to let them escape.

Gali landed with a thud next to him and pushed him down.

"Duck!" she shouted. Once again, five beams of light shot over them. The situation was getting dangerous. He stood up and looked around. The only free way out were the skies.

"Gali, tight-grab my shoulders!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!"

Hesitantly, Gali reached out and grabbed the green Toa's shoulders. Without giving her time to react, Lewa pulled out his Katanas and took off. Gali screamed in surprise and tightened her grip. Underneath them, the screeches of the angry Vahki resounded through the buildings.

"Lewa! What kind of idea is this?" shouted Gali.

"Your head must be a hand-span from mine, watersister" Lewa answered. "You don't have to loudshout for me to soundhear you!"

Gali rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded like an insult. Lewa chuckled and looked back down... and promptly had the smile wiped off his face as he spotted the seven Vahki that, from the ground, were pointing their staffs at him. He gasped and shot forwards, avoiding the beams just in time, then had to do a loop to avoid and eighth beam. Gali screamed and hugged Lewa's shoulders tightly, flattening herself against his back. Lewa swerved sharply and flew over the the huts towards the tall factories. The Vahki followed them on the ground.

"This was no good idea!" Gali yelled at him.

"No, it wasn't," agreed Lewa, as he flew inside a small passage between two buildings.

"We have to find the others," said Gali. "Any idea where they might be going to?"

"I told Takua we'd meet at the hide-spot under the factory, you know, the one on the western side"

"Is it even still there?"

"Yeah... I hope so, but we can't go there anyway as long as these Vahki are trackfollowing us," answered Lewa. Gali decided to ignore the 'hope so' for the moment.

"So?"

"Hold on tight!" he said as he summoned a strong wind and flew inside a passage between two factories, then swerved again inside a side road. The Vahki followed them, nearly as fast. Gali looked over her shoulder to try and see what kind of Vahki they were.

"Frell!" she cursed. "They're Rorzakh... and there's at least one Bordakh patrol!"

Lewa cursed under his breath. "Any smartideas?"

"Maybe... If I was hit by the Bordakh, would you manage to keep us flying and not crash?"

"With a lot of brightluck,"

"I'll take that," said Gali. "Fly on the roof."

Lewa obeyed, and he had barely touched the top of the hot factory when Gali jumped off and started running over the rooftops, heading to where Lewa knew was the hiding place. She signaled him to follow her. Lewa eyebrows went up in surprise and confusion, but he followed her, hoping she would explain as she ran. He wasn't disappointed.

"We can run over the roofs to the factory," she said. "At least until the Vahki catch up... but I doubt it, they never did."

Lewa frowned, he would've liked better something that had to do with flying. But this wasn't a moment to complain. "And if they do?"

"We fly again," answered Gali, hopping from one roof to another. "Only that this time, I'm hanging under you."

"Like a shield?"

"I see you got the point," said Gali. "If the Rorzakh hit me, I'll just have to close my eyes until we get there, so that they can't see where the place actually is. If the Bordakh hit me..."

"...then it's up to me to keep us windgliding until the effect is over," finished Lewa. "Okay, I muchlike it."

Gali smiled and leaped from one roof to another, then she took a sharp turn around a large chimney and jumped onto a lower, cone-shaped factory. Lewa grimaced and followed, though not nearly as gracefully. He didn't like this part of the plan, and couldn't help but feel incredibly clumsy with every step they took on the hot, steep roof. He secretly hoped the Vahki **would** catch up, just to get to fly again. He leaped after Gali onto another, slightly taller building, and proceeded to zigzag around the chimneys. He hoped Gali knew the way, because even though he knew which way to move, he had no idea which way to take.

The two jumped onto another large building, and Lewa was pleased to see that what awaited them nest was an intricated labyrinth of hanging metal suspensions. Balancing! Just like on branches!

He decided that maybe it was time to make a little race out of it.

XXXXX

Takanuva lifted a large metallic slab besides a factory, revealing the rocky ground underneath. He frowned.

"Huh?"

"What's the problem?" asked Onua.

"There should be a passage here..." Takanuva said. "One that leads to an abandoned zone of the archives."

"It seems as if some of your secret passages have been discovered while re-building the city," said Kopaka flatly. He stepped up to Takanuva and scanned the ground. "But there's still an abandoned zone of the archives underneath here."

"Then let's get in there!" said Pohatu, slamming his foot on the ground. The rocks crumbled beneath the pressure, revealing a large, black hole. The unmistakable smell of air that has been trapped for a long time hit them.

"Is there even anything down there?" asked Pohatu.

"A lot of debris and some shattered glass," said Kopaka, scanning the hole again. He was about to add something, but in that moment, a distinct creaking sound reached them. The Vahki they had been running away from were coming. Pohatu gave him an urgent look, but Kopaka shook his head. "Never mind."

Takanuva shrugged."Well, in we go! Last one close the door," he said. Then he jumped into the hole, followed by Onua and Kopaka. Tahu was left outside with Pohatu.

"Come on, jump in!" said Pohatu. Tahu shook his head.

"No. There's no point in running away! We can blast away those Vahki any time! Were not just some Matoran, we..."

"First, if it was you, you'd never run away," interrupted Pohatu. "Second, it's not the point of what we can or cannot do. Something's up with the Turaga, if we'd stayed there, we would've ended up hurting them."

Tahu didn't answer, but stared at Pohatu angrily. The Toa of Stone was right, the Turaga weren't in their right state of mind, who knew what could've happened if they had stayed there. By the way things looked, the Turaga might have even attacked them. And then... what would they have done? But there was no reason not to fight now! He was about to say this, but Pohatu came before him.

"There's no time for discussions! We have to go before the Vahki arrive! Come on!" he said.

Tahu clenched his fists as he caught something like a commanding tone in the Toa's voice. Who was he to tell him what to do? He was about to stay just to annoy Pohatu and the others, but the thought of the Turaga brought him back to reason. There'd be time for a long talk with Pohatu later. Angrily, he stomped to he hole and jumped in. Pohatu came straight after him, slamming the metal plate back to its place as he jumped.

Tahu hit the ground with a thud and promptly lost his balance on the uneven floor. Just to make things worse, his staggering brought him to a slope, and he found himself rolling down on hard rocks and pieces of metal. He tried to grab something to stop, but it was a wall that finally brought his fall to a halt. His impact rose a cloud of dust that filled his lungs and made him cough.

"Tahu! Are you alright?" asked Takanuva. Tahu looked up the slope to spot four tall silhouettes that seemed to be looking down at him.

"Yeah, just..." he started, but his phrase was cut off by another coughing fit. He decided not to say anything else until he was out of there. Takanuva looked down at him uncertainly.

"Well," he said. "Look at the bright side, we have to go down there anyway." His faint try to cheer things up was answered by a growl. Hesitantly, Takanuva lit the ground in front of them and proceeded down the slope, reaching Tahu. The Toa of Fire had stood up in the meanwhile, and Takanuva only needed a look to see how angry he was.

"Just tell me," said Tahu. "What was the point of jumping down here anyway? After all, the Turaga weren't around now! We could've simply blasted the Vahki away!"

Takanuva winced and retreated a step. In the meanwhile, the other Toa had reached them too, but none of them had anything to say. Their silence proved to Tahu that he was right, and that he could've been spared that roll down the hill.

"Well it's just that..." started Takanuva. "Lewa said we should meet at the hiding place underneath the factory. So..."

Those words just lit up the flames of Tahu's anger. Who was the leader here? Him or Lewa? He was not going to have a talk just with Pohatu, but with all the Toa... as soon as they came.

"Whatever," he said through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stay calm until Gali and Lewa came. "So Lewa told you to come here?"

"Um, no," admitted Takanuva. "Actually, the hiding spot is on the other side of Ta-Metru. But don't worry!" he said quickly, seeing that Tahu was about to lose his temper completely. "This leads straight to it. I just thought it was better if the Vahki didn't come near to it."

Tahu still didn't give any sign of calming down, so Pohatu stepped between the two Toa. "Come on, let's get moving. I bet Lewa and Gali are already waiting for us! Lead the way, Takua!"

Takanuva nodded and stepped past Tahu, walking down the tunnel. He just hoped the tunnel hadn't caved in and that the way wasn't blocked by some huge boulders. All they needed now was Tahu in rage.

XXXXX

"This is it," said Takanuva, pointing to a small opening in the ceiling. To his relief, the way had been nearly boulder-free and the hole was large enough for a Toa. Tahu even seemed to have calmed down.

"Well, let's go through," said Takanuva. He grabbed the edges of the hole and wriggled through. The other Toa followed.

The room behind wasn't very large and their heads nearly touched the ceiling, but they could move freely. Though there were no windows, there was a large quantity of lightstones stuck in the walls, so that the room was well lit. There were things scattered around that looked as if they had once served as cabinets, desks, chairs, and even something that looked like a bed. Pohatu opened one of the cabinets and discovered a set of carver tool in good state.

"Hey, not bad!" he said. "Looks like someone made himself comfortable here in all this time."

"Yeah... maybe..." said Takanuva.

"How did you know of this place?" asked Kopaka. "Or Lewa?"

Takanuva shifted his feet uneasily. "It was a hideout... for some smugglers." He pointed to the cabinet Pohatu had opened. "Sometimes some things were falsed, so they needed a good place to work in peace."

"And how do you know all these things?" insisted Koapaka. Takanuva smiled.

"You know I never liked to work, so when I wanted to take a day off... I came here so the Vahki wouldn't find me. I knew most of those who 'worked' here."

"And Lewa?" asked Onua. He had the suspect that Lewa hadn't been here just to skip work. Takanuva hesitated for a long moment, proving Onua that he was at least half-right. Kopaka seemed to have come to the same idea.

"So?" he asked. Takanuva hesitated again before answering, but he couldn't even start when the thumping sound of footsteps interrupted him. Alarmed, he looked up at the ceiling. Someone had entered the old factory and was walking over them.

"Um, can they hear us?" Pohatu asked. Takanuva shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess not... we can also only hear their footsteps, right?" answered Takanuva unsurely.

"You mean you guys hid here all the time, but had no idea how high the chances were that you got discovered?" asked Tahu.

"Um... yes," said Takanuva. "They were a well organized group but..."

THUMP!

His words stuck in his throat. Whoever was walking over them had started thumping their foot on the ground, as if they were searching for something. Another thump, then the sound of someone moving, followed by a scratching. Tahu went for his swords. The scratching became louder, then there was the creaking sound of a door being opened. However, no hole opened in the ceiling above them. Tahu raised an eyebrow.

"Strange," muttered Takanuva. "I could've sworn..."

A slab of metal in the ceiling was suddenly pulled free and slammed on the ground above them. The Toa of Light jumped back in surprise, and a second later, Lewa's head appeared in the opening. He grinned as he saw the surprised expression on Takanuva's face and Tahu with his swords in his hands. The Toa of Fire placed them back hastily.

"I told you it was here!" he called up to Gali.

"Okay, you were right!" answered Gali. "But that doesn't make up for before!"

Lewa huffed in annoyance and jumped down to the other Toa. Gali didn't follow immediately, but stopped to place the first slab of metal over the other, and then pulling both of them shut as she jumped in.

"You reached us, finally!" said Pohatu.

"Sorry," muttered Gali. "Lewa challenged me to a race and got us lost."

Pohatu blinked. "What? Lewa? Lost?"

"Not lost!" protested Lewa. "I just wrong-turned! I knew where we were!" He noticed Pohatu's questioning expression and added. "We took a shortcut over the roofs. Gali lead, I followed. Then I challenged her to a race, wrong-turned, and suddenly there was no roof to jump to."

"By the way, Lewa," said Gali, suddenly concerned. "I thought you knew the way! We've taken it hundreds of times!"

"Hundreds of times?" asked Tahu suspiciously. Lewa shrugged.

"I don't know... I just couldn't remember!" he said. "I still can't remember." He added after an afterthought.

"Hundreds of times?" repeated Tahu.

"As outlaws," answered Gali distractedly, while still focused to Lewa. "How can you have forgotten, Lewa? You **never** forget shortcuts!"

"Well, I did this time," said Lewa, though uneasily, What other shortcuts and quick-ways had he forgotten? Would he ever even know?

"Could we leave that and come back to the main problem?" asked Tahu, irritated. "The Turaga have gone..."

A lod creak interrupted Tahu in the middle of his phrase. The Toa of Fire looked up at the ceiling annoyed.

"What now?" he growled.

"Uh... someone's coming in?" suggested Pohatu.

"Wasn't this place supposed to be secret? And safe?"

As to give more weight to Tahu's words, a second creak resounded, and for the second time, the slab in the ceiling moved, and a head poked in. This time, though, it was a Ta-Matoran wearing a dark red Ruru and a bored expression. He scanned the room quickly, resting his gaze on each of the Toa shortly before going on to the next. Kopaka noticed the calculating look in his eyes, this strange Ta-Matoran was studying them.

"Who are you?" asked Tahu sharply. The Ta-Matoran turned to him for a second, then lowered himself in the room before jumping to the ground, ignoring his question completely. Tahu had the feeling that he had already gone through this.

"Who are you?" he repeated. The Ta-Matoran shot him an annoyed gaze, then proceeded walking around the room and poking his head into the cabinets.

"We asked you a question," said Kopaka sharply, using the cold tone he normally reserved for Tahu. "Who are you?"

The Ta-Matoran gave him a look that clearly stated how much he didn't care about what they had asked him, and proceeded to another cabinet.

"Hey, wait a second, I know you," Tahu realized suddenly. "Kosta, right?"

"People call me so," answered the Ta-Matoran in a flat, bored tone, without looking up from the cabinet. A giggle caught Tahu's attention, and he turned to see that both Takanuva and Lewa were doing their best not to burst into laugher, and Gali also seemed amused. In the meanwhile, the Ta-Matoran seemed to have finished examining the contents of the cabinets, and finally turned the the Toa. Or better, to Lewa and Gali.

"It seems as if everything's still in place, though dusty," he said in the same flat, bored tone. Could this guy be anything else than bored? thought Tahu angrily. It was worse than with Kopaka!

"No, duh," said Lewa. "No one's been in here for... a thousand years?"

"Yeah, I guess a bit of dust is acceptable," said the Matoran, without changing his tone. In that moment, something hit Tahu, but Onua came before him.

"Wait a second," said the black Toa. "How did you know about this place?"

The Matoran ignored that question too, then turned to Gali. "I see that our favorite thief has come home... though this time, with an armor."

_Our favorite...? _thought Tahu. And alarm bell started ringing in his head.

"Hey, how do you know about Gali?" asked Pohatu. Again, the Ta-Matoran ignored him, and so did Gali.

"Yeah... it comes in handy when you're in the middle of a battle," said Gali. "like it?" The Ta-Matoran studied her from head to toe, without changing his expression.

"Yeah, it's pretty," he said, though it didn't seem as if he had any interest in it. He looked up at Gali's face, and his expression broke into a sly, yet still somewhat bored, smile. "Welcome back, Gali, thief of Ga-Metru."

"Hi... Pylok,"

* * *

Most (all) of the reviews I got can be easily summarized in: What's up with the Turaga? Or: The Turaga are being controlled by the Leehar! -smiles- wrong question. 

Another thing I noticed is that someone seems to have forgotten a few things about the first fanfic. The problem is, that at the time, I forgot to stress some things, because they used to be unimportant. (notice: used to be) Then, after Lhikan died and resurrected (in my fanfic along with tons of others) they became of vital importance to prevent the fanfic to be stamped with: AU or: NCWOS. Which was exactly what I DIDN'T want. -angry- anyway, these are some little "mistakes" you should remember:

Vakama didn't tell the whole Metru Nui story (that was actually a trick to save the fanfic just in case... wow! I can see in the future!)  
There are Matoran on Metru Nui when the Toa arrive  
The Vahki are still functioning  
The Leehar are pretending to be Toa, and the Matoran that were still on Metru Nui think THEY defeated the Visorak (no, hang on, this wasn't a mistake...)  
Lhikan is still alive  
In chapter 31, Sirkul's spot/symbol isn't glowing  
The phrase below is false  
The phrase above is true

Also, all fanfics are related to each other, so some clues are in HotP.


	8. Return to Miko Nui

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine... yes, I know you know that. And I know you know I know you know that. And I bet you know I know that you know I know you know that. Whatever...

**Return to Miko Nui**

Tahu felt his newly raising temper make place to surprise and curiosity. Pylok? Hadn't he said his name was Kosta? And the way Gali was clanging her fist with him...

"You two know each other?" he asked. Gali nodded.

"Mm-hmm," she answered. "And so do Lewa and Takua. Pylok is one of those who 'worked' here."

"Yep," said Lewa. "By the way, aren't you forgetting anyone, Pylok?"

"Welcome back to you too, Lewa," said Pylok with a nod. He was still wearing the same smile he had given Gali. Then he turned to Takanuva. "And to you too... Toa Takanuva."

"Takua," said Takanuva, but Pylok shook his head.

"Toa Takanuva," he repeated. Takanuva sighed. Would he ever get his old Matoran friends to call him Takua? Apart from the fact that Toa Takanuva sounded – and was -- way too long for any reasonable person, he couldn't get used to being treated like he was more important than any normal Matoran. Especially because the Toa always put the Matoran above themselves.

"How did you know we were here?"asked Lewa. "Or even who we are."

"I didn't lose my memory like everyone on Mata Nui, remember?" answered Pylok flatly, grabbing a tool and starting to clean it. "I never was in one of those capsules. I knew who you were the moment you stepped on Metru Nui. As for knowing you were here..." he shrugged. "What would your first guess be if you saw yourself and Gali flying over your hut, followed by a hundred Vahki?"

"You're one of the Matoran who stayed here?" Onua asked. Pylok nodded.

"Yes, along with the rest of the group and a handful of other non-outlaw Matoran ," he said. "But you know the story, don't you?"

The Toa nodded. Unlike the Turaga, they knew exactly why there were still Matoran on Metru Nui, and why most of them were ex-outlaws. It had been them, in a strange chain of events, that had managed to save a number of Matoran from being capsuled, and therefore losing their memory. But that hadn't been enough.

"Oh, by the way," continued Pylok, without looking up from his tool. "Kimao was with me when we saw you. He went calling the others. They should be here in a question of seconds."

"Ah-ha," commented Kopaka flatly. "And is Kimao his real name or are we going to have to remember another one?"

"We all have a second name we use overground," said Pylok in his typical, bored way, still not looking up from his tool. "Pylok is my real name, and you know I use Kosta overground. Kimao is his real name, and..."

"There's no reason-need for you to know my overground name," interrupted thim a sharp, accented voice. The Toa looked up to see a Matatu-masked Le-Matoran poking his head through the trapdoor. He eyed each of the Toa suspiciously, then dropped inside the room and looked once again around, studying each of the Toa.

"Say, what other secrets have you been telling them?" the Le-Matoran asked. "Maybe the location of each of our hideouts?"

"Hi, Kimao," said Lewa helpfully.

"Hi," answered Kimao shortly, without letting the other Toa out of view for a second.

"There's no need for you to play paranoic as usual," snapped a voice cheerfully, and a broad-shouldered, strong looking Po-Matoran dropped in. He was also wearing a Matatu, and Onua 's first thought was that there was something wrong with the two Matoran, but he couldn't quite see what.

"Hello!" he greeted them friendly. "I'm Shaa, worker of the group. I'm in charge of all heavy transports, carrying, unloading – not only our vehicles – messaging... all the toughest work, shortly. Hard life, but when everyone else's lazy, you don't have much choice."

"No, but it would help if you shut your mouth," snapped Kimao. "It might make your job easier... and save us from being caught once again!"

"Paranoic freak..." muttered Shaa, winking at Onua. In that moment, Kimao also turned to look at him, and the Toa of Earth realized what had been annoying him.

"Your masks!" he gasped. "They're..."

"Exactly the same, I know," said Shaa, chest swelling with pride. "Just too bad the guy that made them had finished the first color."

Apart from the fact that one was of a dull green and the other of a dark brown, the two masks looked exactly the same. In fact, the two Matoran didn't look very different from each other. Both were tall and broad shouldered, and Onua guessed that in the dark, they could be often confused with each other.

"Yep, it is practically impossible," continued Shaa, despite the fact that nobody had asked. "Kimao thinks it depends on the type of the mask. The Matatu is the Mask of Illusion, so it is possible that these masks look the same because what you're seeing is... well, an illusion."

"Oh, shut up, Shaa," interrupted a Pakari-masked, smiling Ga-Matoran, whose head had just popped through the hole. "We've heard your bragging enough times to... whoa!"

She hadn't finished talking, when she slipped and fell through the trapdoor, crashing on the ground face forward. Still, it didn't seem as if she had hurt herself, because she looked up with a slightly dazed look, and broke into a high-pitched, girlish laugh.

"Oh man..." she laughed, trying to stand up. But she promptly tripped in her own feet and crashed to the ground again, laughing even harder. She finally managed to push herself up and looked around, giggling.

"Hi," she said, giggling. "I'm Ushuy."

"She's cute," Pohatu whispered to Takanuva. "What's her name when she's 'overground'?"

"Uh..." said Takanuva unsurely. But Ushuy was skipping over to him. As she crossed Pohatu, she tripped in an invisible crack in the ground, and would've once again fallen, hadn't Pohatu reached out to grab her.

"Thanks," she said with a giggle. "I find you cute too, by the way."

Pohatu could only stare after her as she skipped over to Takanuva.

"By the way, guess who made the carver tools box disappear last week," said Shaa gleefully.

"Oh man," said Kimao, rolling his eyes. "Why don't you give them your theft calender, while you're at it?"

"Anyone can steal a box!" muttered Tahu.

"No, not everyone, those boxes ain't light. They..."

Kopaka rolled his eyes as Shaa started bragging again about his deeds and Kimao snapping at him and cutting him off every two words, while eyeing them suspiciously at the same time. He looked around. Pylok was cleaning another tool without giving a damn about what was going on around him, and without having changed the costantly bored expression that lay on his face. Ushuy was chatting happily with Takanuva and Lewa. He saw how she tried to spin around, like dancing, but tripped overher own feet and fall to the ground.

Kopaka shook his head. Wasn't there anyone here who was halfway normal? Well, they were, but not for the Metru they came from. He was about to ask Gali, but stopped as he realized she was talking with a small, Huna-masked Le-Matoran. Weird, he hadn't seen or heard him come in. Even stranger, though Gali was obviously talking happily about something, the Matoran didn't say a word.

He stepped nearer, and doing so, realized that someone had closed the trapdoor. Probably that strange Matoran. He reached Gali as Shaa started bragging about something else and Ushuy tripped in a playful try of shutting him up.

"Who are you?" he asked. The Le-Matoran jumped in surprise and turned around to face him with shy red eyes. He was surprisingly small, and Kopaka had to wonder whether he had somehow scared him, because the Le-Matoran didn't say a word. Instead, Gali spoke for him.

"This is Kuss," she said. "He..."

"Hey, Kuss's here too!" interrupted them Shaa. "Hey Kuss, come here, don't you hide from us!"

Kuss made a weird face and walked up to Shaa, who promptly put an arm around his shoulders and so evidenced even more how small the Le-Matoran was.

"This is Kuss," said Shaa unnecessarily. "Our mascotte."

Gali shot Shaa a dirty look.

"Okay, he's that and much more,"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot" said Lewa, laughing. Then he turned to the other Toa. "Shaa is a bit narrow-minded, he can only talk well about himself."

"Yeah, we noticed that," said Pohatu, winking. Shaa snorted.

"Kuss?" said Tahu. "Weird name."

Kuss smiled apologetically and shrugged. Tahu raised an eyebrow and seemed to be about to say something else, but changed his mind and shrugged.

"Nevermind," he said. "We have other problems. Seven Matoran are missing, and the Turaga have gone crazy. We have to find a solution soon, better now."

Ushuy giggled. "That's funny, the Turaga going crazy. I always thought they were a bit weird."

"It's serious, Ushuy," said Onua. "They actually threatened us."

Ushuy laughed even harder at this. "Wow! Someone brainwashed them into believing that they are still Toa Metru, big and strong. You should ask them how old they are, maybe that's the solution!"

Onua was about to say something, but Tahu cut him off. "It's not important what the Turaga believe! The point is, they aren't in their right state of mind, and we have some Matoran to find. In case you haven't noticed yet, we can't leave the island as long as the Turaga are in these conditions, but we don't have anymore time left to find the missing Matoran!"

"We had noticed," said Onua quietly. "I guess we'll have to split. We've done it before"

"Half of the group here and the other half on Miko Nui?" asked Tahu, raising an eyebrow.

"Miko Nui?" asked Pohatu.

"I thought that we might need some moral support," said Tahu with a smile. "But that means we have to stay together."

And besides, he already had a bad feeling that this wasn't going to end as well as usual. Let alone if their group was halfed...

"And what if **we** kept an eye on the Matoran?" asked Kimao.

"You?" asked Tahu, not at all convinced.

"Yes, us," repeated Kimao. "Don't think of 'us' as the people in this room, I mean the whole community."

"And how many Matoran are the whole community?" asked Kopaka. Kimao shrugged.

"A lot," he said. Obviously he had decided not to trust the Toa. "Trust us, we know Matoran all over the city. We just have to round them up."

"Ah-ha," said Kopaka. "And you expect us to trust you, when you don't trust us?"

"You don't have any choice," said Kimao shortly. "We do."

"That doesn't help," Pohatu pointed out.

"Stop it!" snapped Gali. "They're right, we **don't **have a choice." Tahu still didn't seem convinced, so she went on. "Look, I know these Matoran, I was in this group! And I know they can do it."

Tahu gave the Matoran in the room short glance that looked everything except convinced, then shrugged and looked at Gali. "Fine then."

"So, we have a deal?" asked Shaa. Tahu's face darkened.

"Hey, wait a second," he said "No one spoke of a deal!"

"Well, you didn't think we were going to do it just like that, did you?" he asked. "We're not Toa, don't forget that!"

Tahu shot Gali and Lewa dirty look, which they simply ignored, before turning back to the Po-Matoran.

"What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Nothing really," said Shaa, "Just one of those cute thingies you're wearing."

Tahu's hand shot up to the Ilsao and clutched it tightly as he realized what the Matoran meant. "Never"

"Never isn't an option," Kiamo reminded him.

"No," growled Tahu, who was having enough of the Matorans' attitude. "But handing you over to the Vahki is."

Kimao retreated a step. "You wouldn't do that!"

"Oh yes I would," snapped Tahu. "I nearly handed in Gali when I found out who she was, and I have no problem telling the Vahki or the Turaga or anyone about this nice little place. Now, I'm sure you understand the situation and won't create any trouble, so I won't, but if it comes to it..."

He left the phrase suspended. The Matoran looked nervously at each other, then at the three Toa who had belonged there. The only one who seemed completely calm was Pylok, who had finished cleaning three objects and was busy polishing a third. He finished cleaning it, then looked up at Tahu with the same bored, uninterested expression he had worn when they had met.

"It sounds fair," he said, to Tahu's great surprise. "After all, no one asked us to come here. Okay, Toa of Fire, no Ilsao. Just bring us back Jeea safely."

"Jeea?" asked Gali. "You know him?"

Lewa and the Matoran looked at her in a funny way.

"Of course we do," said Ushuy. "And so do you. He was Lewa's best friend, and the only one of us who never used another name. Don't you remember? He was the one who pulled you out of that burning house!"

Gali frowned, she absolutely couldn't remember anyone called Jeea. She tried to think back to the fire that had surprised her that night. She could remember the episode vividly. How the flames had slowly encircled her, the heat become gradually more intense, and then...

She shook her head. She could remember somebody rescuing her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember who had rescued her, nor could she see his face as anything more than a blur.

"Actually, I don't know who he is either," said Takanuva.

"No, well, you wouldn't," said Shaa. "He wasn't here often, I don't think he remembers you, but he was one of our number."

Gali and Lewa looked at each other, and both of them had to think of the episode with the roof again. It seemed as if their memory still hadn't come back completely. What if, somewhere in those gaps, there was something – a clue, a missing link – that lead to what was happening on Metru Nui? What if the solution was just a memory away?

Lewa shrugged. They would have to worry about that later. For now, they had to concentrate on the present. Tahu was nodding to Pylok, showing that they had a deal. The Outlaws were going to keep an eye on the Turaga, while the Toa went looking for the missing Matoran. Pylok nodded back, then, the Toa went back to talking about their problem.

"So," said Lewa. "How do we get to Miko Nui? The Tikohl was smash-dashed."

"Thanks to the clue Hoti gave to Takua." Tahu said. "Remember? That stuff about not going hopping across lava to see totems, because you never know what they might be."

"The totem is still on Mata Nui, though," Onua pointed out. "We'll have to cross the silver sea to get there."

"We'll just steal some flying vehicle," said Lewa with a shrug.

"That would get too much attention," said Onua, shaking his head. "We'll have to go by sea."

"But..."

"Onua is right," interrupted him Kopaka. "We musn't attract attention on our depart. No matter how some of us hate water." He said the last few words with an icy stare towards Tahu, Lewa and Pohatu.

"I never said a thing," growled Tahu, clenching his fists.

"Then it's decided," said Kopaka. "We take a boat."

"What?" exclaimed Tahu. The word escaped his lips before he could hold it back, and he hated himself for it before he had even really finished speaking it.

"I thought you didn't have anything against it," Kopaka said with a shrug.

"That's not the point," answered Tahu, but so that the other Toa couldn't hear him. There was no time for arguing, and he knew that. Besides, as much as he hated it, Kopaka and Onua were right, they would've attracted to much attention by stealing a flying vehicle, no matter how good Gali's talents were.

He suddenly realized that the Toa were looking at him, waiting for his decision. Slowly, he looked up and nodded. "All right then, we go by sea."

The Toa quickly bid their goodbies to the Matoran, then they climbed through the trapdoor and headed towards Ga-Metru.

XXXXX

The Vahki had come back, unsuccessful. Whenua couldn't believe his eyes, the Vahki had already proved to be able to catch Toa, and these particular Vahki had been reprogrammed especially by a group of skilled Le-Matoran. Yet the Toa had escaped them. Not only, but they had apparently disappeared into thin air, leaving behind no trace of their passage.

"Disappointing," said a tall, strong figure from the back of Vakama's hut. His blue eyes shone coldly behind the white Akaku Nuva.

Vakama glanced at the Toa. He hadn't heard or seen him come in, nor had any idea how he had done that. But that wasn't important, as he realized as he recognized him.

"What... Akapok?" he exclaimed in surprise and horror.

"Exactly," he said. Vakama took a step backwards.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "I warn you, another step and..."

"I heard you have trouble with the Toa Nuva," said Akapok calmly.

"They neglected their duties," explained Lhikan. "Because of them, seven Matoran have disappeared."

"Seven?" said Akapok. "What a coincidence..."

"Don't you dare start with your little games again," warned him Nokama.

"Oh, I didn't mean that," he said. "I meant something completely different that what you immagine..."

"What are you doing here?" asked Onewa. "**How** did you get here?"

"I'm just taking advantage of the situation," said Akapok. "The Toa are away, the city is without protectors... I just need to flick this sword and you're all ice statues. I'm sure you know that Turaga?"

"Makuta was defeated by the Toa Nuva," snapped Nuju. "What good would it be if you took over the city?"

"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" asked Akapok. "I find that this conversation is going in the wrong direction. What are your problems with the Toa?"

"Lhikan just told you," said Matau. "Six Matoran are gone-missing, and the Toa aren't doing no-anything about it."

"We need their powers to save this city from doom," continued Lhikan. Vakama stared at him, he culdn't believe their friend was telling the Leehar about what they wanted to do, just like that!

"Aah, so it's the Ilsao you want," said Akapok. "Well, I offer you a deal. My team goes and gets the Toa and the Ilsao back for you... with a bit of luck we might even get you some elemental powers back. But afterwards, **we** keep the stones."

"To bring Makuta back to power?" asked Vakama, eyes flaming. "Never!"

"The stones are completely useless without elemental power," said Akapok with a shrug. "And you may keep that... yes, I am giving you a chance to be Toa again."

The Turaga looked at each other. "Is it possible?" Matau asked.

"Matau!" exclaimed Nokama. Akapok shrugged.

"These stones turned the Nuva back into Matoran... and then some of them in Olda," he said. "Theoretically it is possible that these stones might bring Turaga back to Toa."

"So you're offering us to bring us back the Toa, the Ilsao and our old selves," said Onewa. "In change for seven colored stones?"

"Precisely," said Akapok with a nod.

"And there's absolutely no chance for Makuta to come back to power?" Vakama asked.

"Sure there is," said Akapok. "There are many ways for the Master of Shadows to come back to power."

"My answer is no," said Vakama.

Akapok bowed slightly, so that Vakama wasn't sure if he was being taunted or not. "As you wish. I can't order something to my team if it isn't wanted." he straightened and looked at the Turaga of Fire. "On another topic, Vakama. You should have realized by now that the best ways of protecting the Matoran from Makuta is doing the will of the Master of Shadows. Oh, I know it sounds horrible, but keep in mind that Makuta doesn't want the Matoran dead. No. On the contrary, he would protect them with all his power. He..."

"GET OUT!" bellowed Vakama. Akapok closed his mouth and bowed again.

"As you wish," he said. "I can't talk with one that doesn't want to hear. After all, the most dangerous voices are the ones that can't be heard."

With that, made to leave the hut, but stopped on the door to turn to Vakama. "I understand you are confused and worried for the fate of the Matoran, and so not in the condition of concentrating on my proposal. I'll come back in a few days. I hope you'll have thought over it by then."

With that, he left, and as he closed the door, he could hear Matau scream: "You just let our Toa-hero selves walk out that door!"

What he couldn't hear, was a soundless voice, that he would've surely recognized, had he had the chance to. _"Fine then. If I can't stop you here, I'll help somewhere else. You won't get the Toa Nuva!"_

With that, the voice left.

XXXXX

"The Mangaia," murmured Tahu. "I had never thought I'd see it again."

The journey had taken them all day, despite Gali's and Lewa's efforts to quicken things. The sun was now setting, teinting the sky in various shades of pink, orange and purple. The Toa had found their old island looking like it had when they had left it. Except for the koro.

While they had lived on Metru Nui, time had worked over the koro, covering them with vegetation and making them homes of wild Rahi. Even though they had only seen Le-Koro, the Toa could easily imagine in what kind of state the other villages were. They had decided to pay them a visit when this was over... after all, they had to bring back to boat.

Now they were standing at the foot of the volcano, inside which Tahu's village had stood before the Rahkshi had arrived.

"I would've never thought I'd sight-view Mata Nui again," said Lewa. "And now I'm footwalking on it."

"Yeah," murmured Gali. "Weird how things work."

Kopaka gave them all an icy stare. "How about we move?"

"How about we go and see what's left of my village?" retorted Pohatu angrily. "We haven't been here for... how much time? Twenty-five years or so..."

"And we don't have time for sentimentalism," snapped Kopaka. "We don't have time for anything!"

"Shut up, will you?" Tahu answered sharply. "Just because you don't feel a thing..."

"Maybe it's time to find out whether it's Mata Nui that turns you two upon each other," said Takanuva. "Can't you stop fighting? You somehow managed not to back on Metru Nui."

"Takua is right," agreed Gali. "Can't you keep that up for a while? It was so nice..."

"Fine," growled Tahu. "Then let's go!"

The rest of the journey to the place where Takua had found the Mask of Light was proceeded in silence. Tahu's comment had been a hard one, and it was clear that a fight could break between Tahu and Kopaka at any second. Gali hoped they'd reach Miko Nui quickly, she wasn't sure she'd be able to make peace between the two Toa if it came to something serious.

Luckily, they didn't encounter any problems, and soon they had reached the place the totem had once been.

"Here," said Takanuva. "But the last time I saw it it was sinking in the ground..."

"Well, it was pulled back up," said Pohatu cheerfully, pointing to a large, glowing stone in the midle of the earth strip. He stepped over to it and placed a hand on the warm surface. A sharp electric bolt shot through his body, and he quickly retreated his hand, but it had been enough. The stone rose with a sirring sound, revealing a set of numbers engraved at the bottom.

"Alright, who knows the code to Miko Nui?" asked Onua. The Toa looked at each other.

"Well, I think i remember it..." said Gali. "But I'm not sure..."

"Just try it," said Tahu. "How many codes can there be anyway?"

"A lot," answered Gali. "And some Tikohl somehow ended up at the bottom of the ocean... and that wouldn't be funny."

"We trust your Kaukau," said Lewa jokingly.

"You'd better trust my memory," murmured Gali, but punched in the code anyway. She was about to touch the Tikohl again, but stopped.

"What?" asked Onua.

"Tikohl are normally placed inside locked rooms," said Gali. "That is because their power would otherwhise transport all kind of things that are lying around, from stones... to trees. When they're not locked up, they have to be touched if you want to be transported."

"All right, everyone get near," said Tahu. The Toa placed themselves around the stone and got ready.

"On the count of three," said Gali. "One, two... three!"

The Toa quickly placed a hand on the stone. The Tikohl started to change color faster and faster, and a familiar force rippled through the Toa's bodies. Then a flash of blinding white light filled the room, and everything around them disappeared, even the Tikohl they had placed their hands on. Tahu barely had time to wonder which Tikohl they were traveling to, then he found himself lying on his side on something wet and soft, drained from all energy.

He opened his mouth to say something, but instead, a gush of water flowed in. Panicking, Tahu spun around and pushed himself up, while spitting out water as he did so. It was only then he realized that the water he was standing in was only knee-deep. The other Toa popped out of the water in similar fashion, even Gali was coughing when her head broke the surface, though she didn't seem near panic.

"Okay," said Pohatu. "When you said we could end up on the ocean floor, I didn't think you actually meant to send us there!"

"We're not on the ocean floor," Gali retorted. "And besides, I'm sure I used the code for the original Po-Kavi."

"Hang on," interrupted Lewa. "**Po**-Kavi? You mean we're supposed to be in the **desert**!"

"Sort of,"

"You gotta be kidding me," said Lewa. "You mean I'm standing in salty wetdamp water, in the middle of the desert? What's the deal?"

"I dunno," said Pohatu, pulling out a handful of sand from the ground and examining it. "But we **are** in the middle of the desert... and in the middle of the sea."

* * *

sorry, the chapter is a bit boring, long and the presentation of those Matoran isn't that important. 

-.-" anyway... who saw the pictures of the Toa Igniters/Inika or whatever? Who thinks they're absolutely UGLY and not at all cool, as i saw some people say?

And who would, (PLEASE), write a comment for me in one of those topics about where the heck are the new colors everyone was talking about?

Because: I tried to register there, but i'm still waiting for my account to be validated, and with my luck it won't happen until the end of march... and I've been asking that myself ever since I saw those... things. So if, somebody is already registered on bzpower, can they please ask for me where those colors everyone was talking about went to? (and also who had this 'great' idea of turning Jaller and co. in virus-mutated freaks?)

Pleaaaase!

EDIT: i forgot to say that if you're wondering why Akapok is alive, I went back to HotPast and killed off Uhat instead. he was too much of a softie anyway.


	9. Friendless

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine.

**Friendless**

"No, no and no," said Lewa. "I refuse to believe it."

"But it's true," said Onua.

"Hello?" said Lewa. "This can't be a desert. Deserts are hot and dry! This is wet and cold."

"Deserts become cold at night," said Pohatu, pointing to the quickly disappearing sun. "Though I can't explain the water."

"Any ideas, Gali?" Kopaka asked.

"The Po-Kavi Tikohl isn't far from sea," said Gali. "My best guess is a huge tidal wave. But..."

"But?" asked Takanuva.

"It doesn't make sense," said Gali. "In these conditions, if it hadn't happened recently there shouldn't be anything but large puddles left, and even then, only if they withstood the daily heat. And it hasn't happened recently, I can feel it."

"Oh great," grumbled Lewa. "Not only had there to be a tidal wave before our arrival, but a desert-loving tidal wave that decided to live-stay here!"

"Well, we do all know Miko Nui is a strange place," said Pohatu with a shrug.

"Whatever happened," said Onua. "It can't have hit the whole island. The Miko-Nui desert is on the western side, so if we travel east we should come across dry land sooner or later."

"As long as the island didn't decide to spin around or move the desert," muttered Pohatu.

"The earlier we move, the earlier we're out of this water," growled Tahu. "Let's go."

"You go ahead," said Lewa, placing his katana as gliders. "I'm windflying."

As Lewa took off, the Toa headed eastwards through the cold water that didn't seem to want to end. To Pohatu's horror, at one point the ground gradually started to sink, until the water reached their shoulders and the brown Toa refused to move another step. Gali scouted forward, and soon returned with the news that the ground didn't sink further, and went back up after a while. And in fact, just a few bios later the water was right under knee-deep.

"Whew! I was starting to get worried," muttered Pohatu.

"Shht!" hissed Onua, cocking his head. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lewa asked from the skies.

"Shht!" Onua hissed again. "There... again... like someone was walking though the water..."

Now the other Toa could hear it too. The soft, yet distinct sound of someone walking through water. Slowly, quietly... but steadily coming nearer. Nearer...

"It stopped," murmured Gali, looking around.

"Yes, it did," agreed Tahu, placing a hand on his swords.

The Toa looked around, but in the meanwhile, the sun had disappeared nearly completely beneath the sea, and shadows and light melted together in a way that made it difficult to distinguish things, so that the Toa couldn't spot anything,

"What's going on here?" asked Takanuva in a whisper, looking down at the water as he did so. And there, right in front of him, he spotted something that looked like a dark hole in the water...

_What?_

The thought had barely shot through his mind when there was a loud hiss, and the water suddenly came to life. Something jumped up at him, invisible and strong, and hit him square on the chest. Startled, Takanuva lost his balance and fell backwards into the cold water.

"Takua!" cried Gali, running forward to the struggling Toa of Light, who was desperately trying to stand back up. But the invisible creature that had attacked him kept him pinned to the ground, and didn't let him catch breath.

"Stop!" cried Gali, trying to pull the creature away. "Stop! Get off him!"

But before she could do anything, a second creature jumped on her, driving her away from the drowning Takanuva and clawing madly at her face.

_-You wish we did, don't you, Toa?- _asked an unfamiliar voice using telepathy, the Ihar's way of communicating to Toa and Matoran. If the Toa had had any doubt that they were being attacked by Ihar, now they had the proof. -_But guess what? Now it's you turn!-_

The other Toa didn't stop to ponder on the meaning of those words, and quickly scattered to help Gali and Takanuva. But before they could even reach them, another three Ihar jumped out of nowhere, attacking them and driving them away from their brother and sister Toa. The Toa quickly pulled out their tools, but hesitated in using them, and the Ihar took the chance to attack again, separating the Toa in the way they'd have separated a wounded Kane-Ra bull from the rest of the herd.

"Windfly!" cried a voice. The Ihars' heads spun around, just as Lewa flew into the still invisible Ihar and pushed him off Takanuva's back. The Toa if Light emerged coughing and gasping for air, but Lewa didn't even notice. By throwing the Ihar off Takanuva's back he had fell out of the air, and now both of them were rolling in the water, each of them fighting to get on their feet. Somehow, Lewa managed not to be pushed beneath the surface and stood up, but with his glider wings still in place, he lost his balance and nearly toppled over.

"Got you!" exclaimed Onua, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back up. As Lewa had flown into the Ihar, the Toa had seized the moment of distraction of the cats to encircle them. Lewa quickly pulled his glider wings out of place and turned to face the Ihar, now visible.

"What is this about?" he asked.

_-It's about you paying for what you have done with us!- _said the same, unknown voice. With telepathy, it's impossible to tell which direction it comes from, but Lewa was quite sure it was the Ihar standing before him that had talked. The same Po-Ihar that was staring at him with eyes full of hate...

"For **what** we have done with you?" asked Onua.

_-Don't do that!-_

"Do what?" asked Lewa.

-_I said DON'T DO THAT!-_

"I don't know what you're talking about!" cried Gali. She had managed to get the second Ihar off her, but her mask and even her armor showed clear signs of how strong the Ihar's claws were. The Ihar that had attacked her was now stading at her feet, ready to pounce at any sign of distraction. "We're here to see some friends!"

-_Friends?_- said a new, slightly histerical voice, and Tahu saw the third Ihar that had attacked them shake his head. _-**Friends?** Who do you think you're kidding?-_

"Nobody!" exclaimed Pohatu, keeping a firm eye on a third Ihar that was standing in front of him. "I'm sure you know at least one of them! He's from Po-Kavi, just like you.His name is Hotiku!"

A humorless, nearly dead laugh resounded in their heads, and this time, the Toa saw clearly how the fourth Ihar that had attacked them threw his head back. It had been him laughing.

_-I would've expected you to be a bit smarter than that...- _said a voice, dead and empty. It had to be the Ihar that had been laughing._ -But after all, how can we expect you to remember the names of all those you have killed?-_

XXXXX

Kimao stood outside Turaga Matau's hut, playing a simple tune on his special, self-made flute. It was slightly smaller than the ones Le-matoran normally used, and had one hole less, but it was enough for Kimao. He had learned how to play on that flute, and even though his tunes were much simpler than the ones the others played, they were just as nice. And after all, he had always liked simple things.

He looked up at the sky. The first stars were beginning to appear, it was time for him to go home, but this was such a nice place for playing the flute and practicing new tunes. Being this the Turaga's hut, few Matoran stayed near it to play, and now that most of them had gone home, he was alone here, and could practice his new piece without being disturbed.

This was, at least, what everyone thought.

He started moving his fingers faster, speeding up his tune. As deep as he was in concentration, he didn't notice the dark shadow moving up to him as silently -- if not even more -- as a Muaka on the prowl. In fact, he was so lost in his tunes, that he only noticed he wasn't alone anymore when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Kimao gasped and let his flute fall. He made to turn around, but Kuss jumped in front of him and placed a finger on his lips, signaling him to be quiet.

"Mata Nui, Kuss!" said Kimao. "Don't you creep up on me like that again!"

Kuss looked at the ground and shuffled his feet, moving his left on in a circle as he did so. Kimao shook his head resignedly.

"Never mind... what are you doing here?"

Kuss shrugged and sat down next to Kimao, who rolled his eyes and picked up his flute.

"Okay, just stay here if you want... wanna hear something?"

Kuss nodded energetically and gave him both thumbs up. Kimao smiled in an amused way as he brought his flute to his lips. Even though he had spent so much time with him, and knew him better than many other Matoran on the island, he just couldn't get used to Kuss. Not completely, at least. But then again, nobody could.

He started playing a soft, happy tune that was well-known by the members of their little group, but hadn't even gotten into the melody when he stopped. In the darkness before him were a pair of shocking purple eyes, staring at him intensely as if expecting something from him. He quickly rubbed his own eyes, to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and when he looked back, the only thing he could see were the shadows. He shot a sideways glance at Kuss, and the expression on the little Matoran's face told him that he had seen them too. All of a sudden the evening air felt very, very cold.

"You know what?" he said, standing up. "I don't think Turaga Matau is going to move this night. Let's go home."

Kuss nodded and jumped on his feet, quickly disappearing. Kimao followed, but instead of running down the shortcut Kuss had gone through, he turned left sharply and hid behind the Turaga's hut, waiting for something he didn't know. Waiting for something he had problably never seen before.

Suddenly, his ears caught the sound of silent, scuttling fottsteps, then the one of a door being opened and closed. Something had entered the hut. Slowly, Kimao tip-toed back to the front door and tried to open it, but found that it was locked. Obviously the intruder had all interests in not being disturbed. Kimao raised an eyebrow and pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear something, but all his ears could catch was a soft buzz.

Scratching his head, Kimao made his way around the hut, searching for one of the windows that gave into Matau's room. _Nothing_ made him more curious than a locked door, and he was determined to find out what was going on in there.

As he reached one of the windows, he spotted Kuss's red eyes looking at him worriedly. He quickly waved a hand to tell him to stay where he was, then approached the first window. It was locked too, but it was a matter of seconds to open it. Done that, Kimao pulled himself up to the ledge and peeked in.

The first thing he noticed were the shocking purple eyes, dangerously near Matau's face. Then he heard the singing. A soft song without words of any kind, sweet but deadly. As he looked more carefully, he realized that the strange creature was stroking the Turaga's mask with an elegant, clawed hand, and to Kimao's horror, the Turaga's mask began to glow under the soft touch of the creature, and a single word shot through his mind as a decription of what he was seeing.

_Cursed._

XXXXX

"What?" asked Pohatu. "What did you say?"

-_He said killed- _said a fourth voice, and Gali could tell from the short glance he shot towards Pohatu that it came from her Ihar. -_Hoti is dead_.-

"NO!" bellowed Pohatu. "No, you're lying! You must be lying, Hoti can't..."

_-Oh, he can,- _said the Ihar in front of Gali. _-He's been dead for five months already.-_

"No," said Pohatu, shaking his head. "No..."

_-What's the matter? Freaking out now?- _asked the first Ihar, the one full of hate. -_After you killed half of the Po-Ihar on Miko Nui? If you're too much of a coward to get over with it, you shouldn't have done it in first place!-_

But Pohatu wasn't listening, not anymore, too shocked by what he had heard. Why Hoti? Why his fellow Ihar, too lazy to stand up in the morning, but always ready for a game of Kolhii? Why him?

"What about the others?" asked Tahu, trying to keep his voice firm, but he didn't quite make it. "Thaukon, Kishro, Nairof... what happened to them?"

-_Right, ask us about what you already know!- _answered the hysterical voice of the third Ihar. -_Ask us about the fates of the ones you condamned! Ask us about how you killed half of the Ihar on the island! Does making you hear about your deeds feel better? Or do you just have a love for killing?-_

"No," said Gali, her voice clearly shaking. "No, we have no love in killing. We just want to know what happened to our friends!"

The first Ihar made a sound like he was going to through up. -_You don't want to know what happened to them, you want to know who of them told us it had been you, right? That's the only thing hat interests you!-_

"No!" said Lewa. "I heartswear..."

_-Well, I'll tell you who it was. No other than Thaukon- _said the Ihar, ignoring Lewa completely. -_Yes, Thaukon, who fought until you broke all his ribs and a leg and left him in the nest of those poisonous snakes, making sure he was bit at least five times before you left. Tahukon, who somehow managed to crawl out and keep himself alive until help came and then died barely a few seconds later. It was Thaukon who told us that behind the strange disappearances were at least seven people... seven Toa.-_

Tahu nearly screamed, nearly cried out in horror and pain as he heard what had happened to Thau, his fellow Ihar, his friends. Somehow, he mamanged to bite it back, but it tasted sour and was hard to swallow, and he didn't dare say anything else out of fear that he wouldn't be able to speak clearly. Instead, Kopaka asked what everybody wanted to know.

"And the others?" he asked, his voice just as firm as ever.

-_What now?- _asked the second Ihar, the one in front of Gali.. -_Haven't you had enough? We told you what you wanted to hear, now leave us alone or kill us!- _He sounded like someone who didn't believe that it would really happened.

"No," repeated Kopaka coldly. "We asked what happened to the others, and I want to know what happened to them!"

-_Fine,- _said the dead-sounding Ihar. -_Kishro can't see with is left eye anymore. We don't know how that happened, luckily for you. But maybe **you** can tell us. Maybe you can tell us who planted that thorn in his paw, making it for him nearly impossible to walk and preventing him from climbing. Or who planted a blade so deep in his chest he can't breath properly anymore. Or...-_

"Stop! Stop!" cried Lewa, his hands shaking madly. "Stop!"

-_Oh, you don't want to hear how he...- _started the first Ihar, but Kopaka cut him off.

"No," he said. "And now tell us what happened to Nairof."

-_We don't know,- _said a new voice seriously. The fifth Ihar looked up at them. -_He disappeared six months ago, just like most of the other Onu-Ihar. No one knows what happened. And even if we knew, we wouldn't tell you. We're not letting you kill another Ihar!-_

"What about Kalythia?" Gali asked.

_-Kal?- _asked the hysterical-sounding Ihar. -_Lost her mind. Started seeing her dead sister everywhere, then her dead mother, father... it drove her insane. But I suppose that happens when you lose your whole family thanks to one you think to be your friend.-_

A soft wail escaped Gali's lips, and for a second, Pohatu was sure she was going to fall. But she only wavered once before catching herself. Still, she didn't raise her aqua axes again.

"And... Sirkul?" asked Kopaka, and for the first time that night, there was the hint of a crack in his voice.

-_As if we knew what he's up to- _said the first Ihar. _-The only reason we know he exists is because he's an ashra! Are you done now?-_

The original hate in the Ihar's voice had died away, leaving behind only a deep sorrow. It was the voice of someone who had remembered too much, and just wished to be over with it.

"Yes," said Tahu, who had finally found his voice. "Just tell us where Nairof disappeared, and we'll leave."

-_We said we don't know,- _said the second Ihar. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously. _-How come all these questions?You surely know the answers better than all of us, what's the deal?-_

"We don't know either," said Tahu, putting his magma blades away. "And even if we knew, you probably wouldn't believe us."

The Ihar stared at him in disbelief as he turned around and gestured the others to follow him. They were obviously used to Toa turturing them endlessly until they cried for mercy, just to be killed painfully.

"Come on," said Tahu. "We still have seven Matoran to find, and I have the feeling time is running up."

The Toa nodded and put away their tools, then, under the eyes of the incredule Ihar, they headed east, feeling a great weight inside them, along with the suspect that they had just lost the most important of their battles.

* * *

Wow, I can't believe I really wrote that so quickly. -notices strange glances coming from readers that don't promise anything good- WHAT? Did you really think I'd give them such an easy win? -notices glares keep coming- Um... -sweatdrops- Hey! The characters are mine... oh, nevermind. But maybe I chose the wrong chapter to say this... um, I was thinking of connecting the three stories to the Voya Nui Saga, but decided not to. Why? Well, there are a few reasons I could think of: 1. I want the Ihar to live on Metru Nui. 2. I want a pairing that isn't there in the Voya Nui Saga. 3. I don't want to turn the universe inside out to explain why the Rahaga and Dume weren't there in the first fanfic, and then again to resurrect Lhikan without going agains the laws of physics and. 4. Voya Nui just annoys me. 5. -get's ready to run away- I want to kill off someone important. 

So why am I telling you this? Dunno... ever heard of building suspense? You now know someone might die, that maybe there will be a REAL happy end for a change, or that maybe this is gonna get romantic.

On another topic: anyone who wants Matoran bios?

And now... um, sorry, but I have some really important homework to do, so... um... -dashes away-


	10. Beneath the Surface

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine, nor is the word frell. (do you believe that i'm still trying to find out whether it is a "real" word or not?)

**Beneath the Surface**

Ushuy pressed her ear against the roof of the hut. No doubt, the singing that could be heard until a second ago was gone. Ushuy cursed herself for having forgotten her tools. Although the others all knew how to open doors and windows with a simple piece of metal, Ushuy had never learned how to do it. And now, she had no idea of what had happened inside Nokama's hut.

But maybe she could at least find out what that creature was.

Slowly, she crawled to the edge of the roof and peeked down, just in time to see something open the door and walk out, looking around silently to make sure nobody was looking. Ushuy bent over the edge, trying to get a better glance at the creature, but the twin suns had set completely, and the creature stood well hidden in the shadows of the hut. The only thing Ushuy could recognize was the sleek head and the shocking purple eyes. Carefully, she bent further, and as she did so, the creature turned around and stared straight at her.

Ushuy gasped and jumped away from the edge, just in time to see a beam of purple light hit the place where she had been lying a second before, as silent as the creature's movements.

Even though she had no idea what the effects of the beam were, Ushuy decided it was best to disappear. Quietly, she slid down the hut's roof and jumped to the ground. But before she could stand up, the creature had ran around the hut and was pointing its staff at the poor Matoran. Ushuy screamed and jumped to her feet, running away as fast as she could. Once again, the violet beam barely missed.

Running as fast as she could, Ushuy sped to the dark water and jumped in, pleading that the creature wouldn't know how to swim. Noticing how the creature came nearer, she dove beneath the surface and hid behind the path, waiting.

But the creature didn't come. Ushuy waited until she could no longer hold her breath, then risked a look. To her surprise, the creature was heading away from Ga-Koro, not caring at all that the little spy had escaped.

XXXXX

The Toa Nuva proceeded silently through the thick jungle, thinking about the fates of their old friends, the Ihar. It didn't seem normal to be walking through Miko Nui without having them by their side, occasionally shooting a completely useless comment about the color of the trees or bickering at each other about who's powers were stronger.

"I can't believe all this really happened," said Pohatu quietly.

"Nor can I," whispered Gali. "Hoti and Thau dead, Sirkul and Nairof missing, Kishro mutilated, and Kal..." her voice broke off and died.

"And all this by the hand of someone who pretends to be us," added Pohatu.

For a while, they walked in silence again, then Onua took word. "You know, that's exactly what doesn't fit. The Leehar are five, not seven. And as far as I know, we're the only group of seven Toa around."

"I know!" shouted Tahu, smashing his fist against a nearby tree. When he took it away, there was a deep scorch mark on the bark of the tree. It looked as if he had kept his anger suppressed for all this time. "And maybe you also realized that Takanuva is the only Toa of Light known! There's no way they could've been mistake for us this time!" He shouted, turning to Onua. Then his hands dropped and he added, quietly. "Not by our friends."

"But then, how..." started Gali.

"I don't know!" said Tahu, voice raising again. "But I'll find out, don't worry. I'll find out who it was, and how they did it. And then, they're gonna pay for it!" He said, smashing his fist against another tree to underline his statement.

"But we still don't know who it was," said Kopaka coldly. "And we have other things to think about."

"We have a lot of other things to think about," Lewa pointed out.

"Then we'd better concentrate on one," retorted Kopaka, sending the Toa of Air an icy stare.

"I think it would be best if we went looking for the missing Matoran," said Takanuva. "If we find them dead, we would have done everything for nothing. But maybe we could pay Kishro or Kal a visit..."

"No," said Kopaka. "The more we wait, the riskier it becomes for everyone. Our duty is to the Matoran, not to the Ihar."

"Do you even care that two of our brotherfriends went dark-sleep?" asked Lewa with a poisonous voice the Toa had never heard before. Kopaka shot him an expressionless glance and didn't answer.

"We're not visiting the Ihar," said Tahu. "We don't know how they might react. Don't forget we're merciless killers here."

"Where are we going then?" asked Pohatu.

"Onu-Kavi," said Tahu. "There must be a reason so many Onu-Ihar disappeared."

-_Right, and maybe you can tell us what it is?- _asked a quick, hissy voice. The Toa looked up to see many pairs of lime-green and yellow eyes staring down at them from the trees.

"What the-" started Tahu, but the Le-Ihar were already jumping down at them. Three of them landed on the red Toa, digging their claws and teeth in any part they could find without an armor. Tahu screamed in pain and grabbed one of the cats, tossing him away from himself. But like any other feline, the Ihar landed safely on his feet and charged again.

"Get off!" snapped Tahu. "Get off before I have to hurt you!"

-_Don't make me laugh!- _said the Ihar, scratching Tahu's mask all the way from the top to the bottom. Tahu howled in pain and threw the Ihar off his face. The cat flew in a neat arc and slammed against a tree, collapsing to the ground, unconscious. Tahu doubted that the Ihar was badly hurt, but he didn't go and check. Instead, he started absorbing the heat around him to raise his body temperature just enough to burn the cats' paws. It didn't take long.

_-Aagh! What are you doing?- _asked one of the Ihar.

"Just guess," answered Tahu.

-_Oh fine, then I'll just make sure I won't touch you for too long- _answered the cat. And before Tahu could understand what the Ihar meant, a blur of pure speed was attacking him from every side, not giving him any time to react. Tahu turned around, trying to hit the green blur, but the Ihar shot between his feet, making him stumble and fall. Before he knew what was happening, the Ihar was on top of him and ready to strike. Instinctually, Tahu spun around and threw the cat off his back, sending a ball of flames at him at the same time. The cat screeched and barely managed to dodge it.

"Tahu! Tahu use your mask, quick!" cried Lewa in that moment. Tahu had no idea of what was going on around him, but did so anyway. There was an angry hiss, then the typical sound of claws trying to make their way through the shield. When he turned around, he realized Gali was on the ground not far from him, bleeding from at least four wounds. The other Toa didn't look much better, and Tahu could feel blood dripping from the scratch on the side of his mask.

"We have to go away," said Pohatu. "If we stay here someone's going to get hurt seriously! And I'm not saying which side."

-_Right.- _said one of the Le-Ihar_ -Flee! Run away from us, you cowards! Afraid, now that you finally get to feel how we really are?- _

Tahu growled and went for his swords, but Gali placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Ignore him," she said. "You're not the coward. That's the one who really did all this, the one who's pretending to be you!"

_-Ignore him!- _said another Ihar, mimicking Gali. -_Does the truth hurt? Because you know it's the truth. You kill and torture and then hide yourself, just like thieves!-_

At the word 'thieves', Gail's hand clutched Tahu's shoulders a bit more tightly. The Ihar's accuse of being cowards might have been directed to someone else, but with the comparison to a thief, the Ihar had hurt Gali more than they knew.

"Tahu, let's go!" said Lewa, he too suddenly looked pale.

_-Tahu, let's go! I'm so...-_

The Ihar that had been trying to taunt the Toa further was cut off by a sharp hiss. Tahu looked first at the cats, then at his fellow Toa, and forced himself to remember that they were doing this for the sake of the Ihar, not for themselves.

"Fine," said Tahu, standing up. The Ihar looked at each other and got ready to block their retreat, but thankfully didn't try to taunt them further. Tahu bent down to help Gali up.

"Do you think you can flush away some Ihar without hurting them too much?" he asked, so that – or at least hoped – the Ihar wouldn't hear. Gali nodded silently. "Good, 'cause I don't want to regret this."

Tahu stepped away from Gali and deactivated the shield. Immediately, the Ihar closed up on them again, ready to pounce. With a quick movement, Gali extracted her aqua axes and pointed them at the Ihar, just as these jumped up at her. But before she could do anything, a cold ripple of energy spread through the jungle, and the Ihar dropped to the ground as frozen statues.

"No!" exclaimed Lewa.

"Why did you do that?" Pohatu bellowed at Kopaka. The Toa of Ice calmly put his sword away and looked up at the Toa of Stone.

"I just did the same thing I did to Tahu when he went berserk," he said simply. "And he seems still alive to me."

"That was not necessary!" snapped Tahu. "We're not trying to give them proof that we're behind all this!"

"Whatever," said Kopaka with a shrug. "Let's leave."

And he walked away without another word, leaving the other Toa no chance but follow. Takanuva made to walk after the others, but suddenly realized Gali wasn't moving. He frowned and walked up to her.

"Come on," he said. "We don't want to be left behind."

"Thieves don't torture just for fun," said Gali through gritted teeth. "Thieves don't kill just for pleasure!"

"I know," said Takanuva softly. "And the others know that too. Don't worry."

Gali shook her head, but followed quietly. She just hoped Kal thought it the same way, because somehow, she doubted it. After all, if what the PO-Ihar had said was true – and she was sure it was true -- she was supposed to have killed her whole family...

But Kal didn't have a family!

"Take," said Gali softly. "Do you think the reason Kal went insane is because of Utah?"

"What do you mean?" asked Takanuva.

"The PO-Ihar we asked said 'Thanks to the one she believed her friend'," said Gali. "It's because she protected me that Utah killed her whole family. Maybe..."

"I don't think so," said Takanuva. "She never thought you were responsible, remember? And she isn't one that would lie just to make one feel better."

"Are you sure?" asked Gali.

"Yes," said Takanuva, smiling. "It's definitely not your fault if it happened. Don't worry."

Takanuva's words should've been ones of comfort, but their effect was exactly the opposite. In that moment, Gali would've given anything for Takanuva to be wrong, even though it meant that she was, if even indirectly, the reason why Kal had lost her mind. Because she didn't even want to think about the other possibility.

XXXXX

Vakama gazed out of the window, thinking over the Leehar's proposal. There was apparently nothing they would regret. No trick, no hidden meaning... and that was exactly what worried him. This was not the way of the Leehar, doing something for nothing in change. Well, there actually was something, the Ilsao. But Akapok had clearly said that the stones were useless without elemental powers, and in fact, it seemed to be true. The stones had been strangely silent over the last 26 years, unless one of the Toa triggered them. It was as if they were... empty. Maybe the stones were only containers that could absorb and pass various forms of energy. Maybe it really was like Akapok had said.

But then why did everybody want them?

Vakama sighed. He was too tired to think about it, he was going to talk over it with the other Turaga the next day. One of them had to know more about the small stones.

He had barely turned away from the window, when a black knife came flying towards him, aiming straight at his heartlight.

There was no time to dodge, the knife flew straight at him... _and passed right through his body._ Vakama gasped and looked down at himself. There was no sign he had ever even been scratched by a knife, let alone trespassed by one. Slowly, he looked up, and found that he wasn't alone anymore. In front of him was a tall figure, staring down at him with an unbelievable expression. But before he could do anything, several images passed before his eyes. Images of death, battles, and one that kept coming back to him: his own staff falling to the ground and shattering

When it was over, Vakama found himself kneeling on the ground, panting heavily. A long time had passed since he last had had a vision, and now it had passed so quickly before his eyes he hadn't even really seen it. Instead, he had heard the screams. Lots of screams. Of anger and fear, hatred and pain, and screams that were actually the howls of wild creatures...

Vakama brought a hand to his forehead. In all his life, he had never heard them so clearly. His visions were normally silent, and if they did have a message, it was a single, meaningless phrase. But he had never heard screams before. Never.

He needed some rest, he decided. He would go crazy if he didn't get some. Still shaken from his sudden vision, he crawled into his bed and fell asleep.

The second it was sure Vakama wasn't sleeping anymore, the purple eyed-creature entered the room, completely unaware it was being watched by a member of a very special group.

XXXXX

"Here we are," said Tahu. "The Onu-Kavi tunnels."

The entrance to the Onu-Ihar's realm stood before them, dark and gloomy. To find it, they had traveled to the volcano where Thaukon used to live. Here, they had found another strange thing. Although the ground was warm and the volcano emanated a hot aura, a cold breeze blew around the place, so that it felt as if they were on Mount Ihu, rather than on a volcano.

On their way here, the Toa had been attacked once more -- by Ta-Ihar, this time -- and they had barely managed to get away before it got too serious. Still, the Ihar had nearly managed to drag away Lewa, and Onua had only just avoided having his throat bitten.

"About time," muttered Pohatu. "Let's go in, I'm freezing!"

"Make way, Takanuva," said Tahu. The golden Toa nodded and walked in, raising his staff as he did so. The tunnel was lit by a warm, golden light, and the Toa followed him.

For a while, nothing happened, and they just walked on, then Pohatu realized Lewa kept falling behind. He stopped to wait for him, and as Lewa came nearer, he realized that the green Toa was limping. During the previous battle, one of the Ihar had dug his teeth into his ankle firmly, and hace even started dragging away before Onua could jump in to help him, risking on his side to find the Ihar at his neck. Lewa had then claimed it was nothing serious, but Pohatu had his doubts now.

"Everything alright, Lewa?" he asked.

"Don't worryfret," answered the green Toa. "It's just a fang-bite."

"Yeah, but you'd better hurry up," Pohatu pointed out. "The tunnels still haven't split, but we don't know how long that'll keep up."

Lewa looked up at him and tried to walk quicker, but after a few steps his face contorted with pain and he slowed down again.

"Just lean on me," offered Pohatu. "We can ask for a rest when we reach the others..." his expression suddenly changed to one of shock. "Hey, were'd they go?"

Lewa looked up, alarmed. A golden glow could be seen at the end of the tunnel, probably coming from Takanuva, but the Toa themselves were nowhere to be seen.

"There's a bend-turn up there," Lewa said. "Our brotherfriends walk fast, they probably simply already passed it."

"Yeah, it must be that," said Pohatu. "But we'd better hurry up."

But no matter how fast they walked, then never seemed to catch up, and then suddenly, the light of Takanuva's staff disappeared, like it had been turned off.

"Frell," cursed Pohatu, speeding up and dragging Lewa with him. The Toa of Air's grimaced as a sharp pain came from his ankle, but he didn't say anything. Barely five bios later, right after a bend, came something Pohatu had dreaded from the first moment he had lost the others from view: the way split in two. Pohatu cursed with a worse word.

"There's a light down there," said Lewa, pointing down the right tunnel. "It might come from Takanuva's light-staff."

"Or from a lightstone," added Pohatu.

"There aren't any lightstones on Miko Nui,"

"Right... let's go then,"

This time, the light source became gradually larger and more intense, and the two Toa sped up a bit, thinking that their brothers and sister had realized they were missing and stopped to wait for them. But as they came nearer, Pohatu started feeling like something was wrong, the stone around him suddenly seemed to be cut off a few bios ahead, and then he saw something that made his eyes go wide.

"No way!" he exclaimed, letting go of Lewa and running down the tunnel. The Toa of Air staggered a bit and then limped after Pohatu as fast as he could, doing his best to ignore his hurting ankle. Luckily, Pohatu didn't go far. He stopped barely half a kio later, gaping at the tunnel wall. When Lewa finally caught up, he saw why.

"Lightstones?" he asked in disbelief. The whole tunnel wall and ceiling was covered with the softly glowing stones, diffusing a fairly intense light throughout the tunnel.

"Not only that," said Pohatu, clapping his hand against a wall. A loud CLANG! echoed through the hall. "Metal. These walls are covered with **metal**!" 

Lewa looked at him and wanted to say something, but before he got a chance to, a heavy metal door slid shut behind them.

* * *

To my surprise, I recived only one death menace after the last chapter. Heck, i even got love reviews! O.O Now I'M getting scared. -slowly backs away from readers-

So, you think I'm gonna kill off someone, huh? -takes out notebook- Wanna bet someone? Who's gonna be a corpse at the end of the ficcy?

**Characters:** -glare-

No, let's do this more interesting -evil grin- This time, there are clues all around the story that can lead you to finding out what's going on. In fact, there are so many I lost track of them, and gonna spend the week-end reading the story all over again and writing them down along with their meaning. (no, this is _not_ a joke) Some of them are in Heroes of the Past, but most of them are here.

So what? Well, if you have an idea of what might happen, PM it to me along with an explanation. If any of you strucks gold... you're getting a pairing of choice in the next fanfic. (he he he)

Now, to my... oh right, that's forbidden now, and I have two anon. Reviews. Do i really have to run after you to answer? (by the way, Hoti-Fan, yes, i can imagine who you are, and I'm still waiting for that PM :)

Why can't i simply do the old thing: to Magdalene-Saiyan-Toa, it doesn't matter, don't worry. keep up your death guesses! (movie?)

Huh? Why not? Seriously, what's the point of forbidding to answer reviews?

We'll probably never find out.


	11. Plot Labyrinth

Discalimer: Bioni... what? Discalimer? Um... well, bionicle isn't mine anyway.

**Plot Labyrinth**

Pylok didn't even look up as a fourth Matoran came back in the middle of the night. He knew what was going to come.

"A purple-eyed creature with a clawed hand?" he asked, as the Matoran that had been checking on Nuju opened his mouth to answer. The Matoran shut his mouth again and didn't say anything. "Ushuy, Kimao and Kuss saw the exact same thing," he explained. "And so did Sey."

Sey was the Matoran that had been keeping an eye on Vakama. Apparently, the strange creature had worked long on him before it had been satisfied and had left. Sey had followed it for a while, then it had fused with the darkness and disappeared. Afterwards, he had checked shortly that the Turaga was alright, and then had run to the headquarters, where Pylok was.

Pylok himself didn't take an active part in the missions, he never had and never would, and personally didn't care. He had always stayed at the headquarters – the "Head Hole", as it was often called by many outlaws – and taken care of most of the 'invisible work'. He created fake talismans and repaired useless masks, or else planned the next thefts or directed smuggles. He lacked the fiery nature of many Ta-Matoran, and didn't care about being 'stuck behind a control panel'. Besides, and this was about the only thing he shared with the other Ta-Matoran, he was a skilled crafter, and his talents were of much more use that way.

"We know it has a sleek head, a clawed left hand and that its eyes are purple," continued Pylok. "It can shoot purple bolts of light and mix with the shadows. Oh, and it seemed to stay longer on Vakama than on the other Turaga. Do you have any news?"

"Um... no," admitted the Matoran, some guy from Po-Koro. "But it seems to be kinda large..."

"This is all very helpful," said Kimao, his voice filled with sarcasm. "In fact, I think we're so close to the solution we can't even see it!"

"And what do you think the solution is?" asked Ushuy, sniggering.

"Dunno, I said I can't see it. But maybe we should ask Shaa, he'll sure be happy to open his mouth," muttered Kimao. The Po-Matoran that had looked after Nuju looked at them.

"Can I go now? It's not much until dawn..."

"Yeah," said Pylok, finally looking up. "Just don't try to disappear, you can't hide from Vahki and you can't hide from us. And before you get nervous, it's not a menace, I'm just telling you. I'm a kind of straightforward guy, very straightforward, and if I need help, I go to the nearest contact I can find, and that's you."

"Me? But you said it was only for this night!"

"Heeeeey," interrupted Kimao. "Listen carefully. If I think-remember well, we stole-took two test air-vehicles for you, and even saboted the work of that guy you were having a contest with. It's three favors to one."

"But..."

"We're not heroes, none of us are," continued Pylok. "A lot of people seem to forget that. Your bad."

The Po-Matoran hung his head and walked away, even if he had wanted to, he couldn't tell the Vahki, otherwise strange things would have come out, and they all knew it. It wasn't the first time they did it. Sometimes, it was simply necessary to have a couple of Matoran they could always call back. Pylok yawned.

"If you ask me, we're not going to find out anything else tonight," he said. "Let's hope the others come back soon."

XXXXX

Onua cursed and slammed his fists against the tunnel wall. The _metal_ tunnel wall. Nothing, it wouldn't give away, and he was trapped in.

When the tunnel had split, they had gone left, and had soon reached a semi-open metal door. They had walked through it, and entered a completely metal covered tunnel. For a second, they hadn't known what to do, then, the door had closed shut behind them, cutting their way back out. It had been only then that they had realized that Pohatu and Lewa were missing. And now, they couldn't even go back for them. Besides, Kopaka had already been walking on, and they had had no chance but follow, despite Tahu's protests and shouts at the Toa of Ice.

And then, after a while – Onua couldn't have said how much time, as the tunnels seemed to have a strange, distorting effect over it – he had felt something like a hole in the earth surrounding them, he had stopped to inspect the wall, and suddenly, one of the large, metal plates had turned around, and he had fallen into another tunnel. But when he had tried to spin the wall again, it hadn't even budged.

Onua tried again, using his mask of strength this time, the wall bent slightly under his pressure, but the plate didn't move. He considered using his earth powers, but decided against it after a second. _Earth_ powers were perfectly useless in a _metal_ tunnel.

He studied the door again, it was already the second time something closed behind him, blocking his way out, yet there had never been anything to block his way in. Strange... it was as if someone wanted them in there.

And then he realized what it was. A trap! They had the illusion of going where they wanted, but were actually forced deeper and deeper in the tunnel complex. Worse, they were divided on the way. Onua screamed and started pounding on the metal door, hoping that his brothers and sister wouldn't be too far away.

"Tahu, Kopaka, Gali! Stop! Don't go on! It's a trap! Takua! Takua, come back!"

But no answer came. Onua smashed his fist against the wall, creating a large bump in it, but the metal plate didn't break and didn't open. Onua swore loudly against the person who had built the place.

"_Damn it! I should've realized it... those excuses for Toa_..." Onua froze. He hadn't heard the voice since he had last been in the Turaga's hut. He looked around, but couldn't see anything as usual. _"I have to warn the others... you stay here! I'm gonna..."_

The voice stopped. When he talked again, Onua thought he heard a hint of sadness in it. _"Do what? Nobody can hear me, nobody can see me... and I start talking to myself! Great, just great."_

So the voice knew it couldn't be heard. Ah-ha. This was probably the weirdest case of hearing-voices-inside-your-head ever.

"_I'm gonna try anyway... you... you... aaargh! Why do I even bother? I'll have to track you down all over again!"_

Onua was about to ask it something, but he somehow knew that the voice was already gone. He looked down the tunnel. Now what? Should he go on? Try and find a way out? Or stay here and do nothing?

Knowing he was running straight into a trap, he turned away from the wall and walked on.

XXXXX

Shaa didn't have anything new to tell them. It was the exact same story. The purple eyed creature had bent over the Turaga and started singing, and as it had done this, the Turaga's mask had started to glow under its touch.

"Should we wait for the next Matoran?" asked Ushuy.

"Naaah," said Shaa. "I know the story and I saw it. There's no need to hear it all over again."

"Maybe we should," said Kimao. "It's safer."

"It's no use," said Shaa. "Besides, this is an 'undercover' mission with double cover. And that doesn't mean we are both covered and run around with a box on our head!"

"Maybe we should put one on your head," retorted Kimao. "Then maybe you would stop talking shit."

"What I mean to say, I have to be in the fields in three hours," he said. "And I'd like to get some sleep before I go."

"I think we all want that," said Pylok flatly. "But **we** can't get to work late, unlike you."

"Then we might as well go home," said Ushuy with a giggle. "If something happens throughout the day, we can find out later."

"People might get suspicious," muttered Kimao to himself. "And after Jeea and the others disappeared, everyone notices everything... yeah, I think you have a point, for once."

Shaa smiled broadly. "See? I always told you I was smart!" Kimao shot him an annoyed look.

"Okay, let's go..." he said. "Before you ruin this unique moment. Kuss, are you coming?"

The small Matoran looked up from the map he was drawing and shook his head. Kimao shrugged. "Okay, then... hey, see if you can get those guys to talk with you!"

Kuss grimaced, he was sure they would _not_ talk with him, or even notice he was there.

"Just don't let them peek around everywhere, we don't want them to go around telling our secrets!"

_Sure, I'll just scare them away with my invisible muscles! _Thought Kuss resignedly, but he didn't say a thing. He merely rolled his eyes and went back to his map, carefully drawing the layout of Vakama's room. Pylok gave him an interested look, as if he knew exactly what was going through his mind, and left, carefully closing the trapdoor behind him. Kuss knew he would be alone for the rest of the day, except maybe for a short visit from their two contacts.

But something happened that none of them had thought about.

Ushuy was busy weaving her fisher net when she realized Nokama was leaving her hut and heading for Ta-Metru. She frowned, Vakama must've called a meeting, but why?

"Finish this for me please," she said the Ga-Matoran next to her. "I... sort of forgot something in Ta-Metru... personal things." She said with a giggle, thinking of the many things she had forgotten al around the city... about two or three, but they made a good excuse.

The Ga-Matoran shot her a short glance. "How many things do you forget around?"

"A lot," she said with another giggle. "And I probably won't find it this time either."

The Ga-Matoran rolled her eyes. "Just be back soon okay?"

"Sure," said Ushuy, running off after Turaga Nokama. _If the meeting isn't too long._

XXXXX

"Onua? Onua!" called the Toa of Water.

"It's no use," hissed Kopaka. "He's gone."

Gali frowned and stopped to inspection the walls again, trying to find out how it could be that their brothers kept disappearing. Her best guess was that there were some sort of hidden doors down the tunnel, and that her brothers had somehow gotten through them and not been able to come back. After all, all the doors they had passed had closed behind them and locked them in.

"Gali, hurry up will you?" shouted Tahu. "Kopaka started playing asshole again."

Gali rolled her eyes and looked down the hall. Indeed, Kopaka was already far down the tunnel and not giving any sign of stopping, Takanuva was walking uncertainly after him, occasionally stopping and looking back at Tahu, who had stopped to wait for his sister. Gali ran her hand one last time along the metal wall – who would have thought there was a whole building underneath Miko Nui? -- then started jogging up to her brother. When Tahu saw she was coming, he stepped back a few feet and started following the other two Toa. Gali sped up a bit more, but before she could reach Tahu, another door fell close, right in front of her. The Toa of Water jumped back in shock.

"Hey!" came Tahu's voice from the other side of the door. "Hey not again!"

A quiet sound came from Gali's side. A new door had opened, but she had no doubt it would close behind her as soon as she crossed it.

"Gali, are you still there?" asked Takanuva.

"Yeah, I'm here," answered Gali, staring at the hole besides her. "A door opened next to me." She added.

"Ah-ha..." muttered Tahu. "Okay, stand back, Gali, I'm melting this stupid metal panel."

He grabbed his lava swords and pointed them at the door in front of him, but the metal seemed to be surrounded by an invisible shield that blocked his powers. The flames always stopped an inch before the door, and even if they did touch it, the metal was left unscathed.

"Um... I think they have fireproof doors, Gali," said Takanuva.

"We should've known..." came Gali's answer from the other side of the door. "I guess I'll go down this other tunnel and see where it leads too."

"Be careful, will you?" said Takanuva.

"Don't worry, I will," answered Gali. Then she walked down the dark tunnel.

As she had expected, the door soon closed behind her, ad at the same time, the one that Tahu, Takanuva and Kopaka had gone through opened with a soft hum.

XXXXX

"Have you already decided?" a cool voice interrupted Vakama's discussion. The Turaga turned around to face Akapok, who was standing there, looking down at his as if he was the least important thing in the world.

"You again!" he said. "How long have you been here?"

"I heard you discussion has been going in a very interesting direction," continued Akapok, ignoring Vakama's question completely. "The prospect isn't that bad now that you've thought of it, is it?"

Vakama shut his mouth. It was true, after a night of thinking about it and a long sleep, he didn't feel nearly as horrified at the idea of working along with the Toa Leehar. Despite the fact they had lied about the Hordika, taking the merit of the battles for themselves, they had, in fact, protected the Matoran for all that time. Even the idea of risking to be enslaved by Makuta didn't seem that bad anymore. After all, Makuta had already given signs he didn't want to hurt the Matoran, just have them worship him.

"I see," said Akapok with a cold, humorless smile.

"Do you swear that the Ilsao won't be of any use for Makuta once the transformation is complete?" Lhikan asked.

"Without elemental powers, the stones are useless for anybody," said Akapok.

"And will they really turn us back into Toa-heroes?" added Matau, receiving dirty glances from the others for the comment, but Akapok's expression didn't change.

"I already said that they turned the Toa Nuva back into Matoran and back again," repeated Akapok. "Do you need any more proof?"

Vakama looked at his fellow Turaga. Until he said yes, they weren't bound to the deal, he still had some time to think about it. On one hand, there was the possibility of Makuta returning to power or worse, the Leehar turning against them. On the other, they needed the city to be finally repaired, they needed the Ilsao, and they needed protectors. The risk of Makuta returning to power was very, very low -- after all, somebody had to lift that door off him first – and even if he did, none of them was in any immediate danger. He looked up to Akapok.

"My answer is..."

He was interrupted by a scratching on the door.

_-Vakama! Vakama open! It's urgent!-_

Vakama frowned and looked around. Apparently none of the other Turaga had heard anything, it had been private telepathy. And it sounded familiar. Akapok raised his eyebrow in surprise as he walked to the door and opened it, but didn't say anything.

There was nobody outside.

"Must've been some Matoran playing a joke," muttered Onewa.

_-Oh, you're all here...- _said the voice. _-Sorry if I disturbed, but I have to see Tahu and the others straight away. Better now. I've been looking for them the whole night, I...- _The voice stopped, as if it had suddenly realized something. _-What's **he** doing here?-_

Vakama turned around and spotted Akapok, who had taken out his sword and was slowly approaching the door. Calmly, the ice Toa pointed his sword at a point in front of the hut and fired. There was the sound of scuttling feet, then a surprised yowl, and frozen patches of ice, including one that resembled a tail, appeared in midair. Akapok smiled and pointed his sword again, but this time the Ihar was quicker, and in a matter of seconds, the frozen patched had disappeared behind the hut.

"Pity," muttered Akapok, putting away his swords. "So, where were we left?"

Ushuy felt something run past her and speeded after it. She hadn't understood a thing of what had happened and was determinated to find out.

"Wait!" she cried. "Whoever you are, wait!"

But the strange thing didn't wait, and turned down a side road instead. Ushuy smiled, she was lucky, that street was a dead end. And in fact, when she turned into the road she found the frozen air at the end of it.

"I said wait," she said, luckily, the strange thing didn't try to run. "Who are you? How come you're invisible?"

The floating ice didn't answer. She had to laugh at the thought.

"Let me guess, frozen patches of air don't talk, right?" A strange sound was to be heard.

_-Yeah, sort of- _the patches said. _-To answer your second question, invisibility is a common power between my people. Now my turn, why were you spying on the Turaga?-_

Ushuy had to laugh. She didn't know why, but she always had to when she was caught red-handed. "That's the first question, and you answered only to my second too."

_-What you... oh, doesn't matter, it's not important anyway... listen, do you know where the Toa are? I have to find them. Now!-_

"They're not here anymore," said Ushuy. "They disappeared into thin air, you can ask around, everybody will say the same thing. Even the Turaga."

_-They disappeared?-_

"Yep,"

_-Per Tikohl?-_

"I heard something about it,"

_-Did you hear something about Miko Nui too?-_

"Yeah, I did," said Ushuy with a giggle. She was starting to like the game.

_-Bloody, sucking Karzahni!-_

Ushuy stopped giggling. "Why?"

The creature turned visible and looked at her. Ushuy gasped. She knew what it was, she remembered Kida, the guardian of the Ga-Metru temple. Standing in front of her was a red, fully-grown, wild Ihar. And he was probably a male.

_-It's a long story... but I think i can trust you. Just tell me, do you somehow know Gali as the thief of Ga-Metru?-_

Ushuy stared at him. "How do you know who Gali is? Everyone either thinks her name is Xanya or has no clue!"

_-As I said, it's a long story. What you have to know now is simply that half of the Ihar population has been killed, and so have I and one of my best friends, at least that's what everyone thinks. All murdered by the Nuva. And Ihar are very, very revengeful. Can you follow me?-_

Ushuy nodded, she was used to this sort of talks."But if the Nuva already killed half of your number, they can kill the other half too, can't they?"

_-Not if they don't want to. And they don't- _said the Ihar. _-If the Toa came with me, it'd be alright. But this way, they'll be costantly under attack!-_

Suddenly, the Ihar turned invisible again. Ushuy turned and spotted a Matoran walking past the road. She turned back to the Ihar.

_-I have to be really, really careful. If tsomeone finds out I'm not lying still in a grave...-_

"I got the point," said Ushuy quickly. "I can show you a place you can hide. It'll be like being in a grave, but at least you won't have to lie still." She finished with a giggle.

_-Bring me to it... then gather the other outlaws and bring them too, we have to talk-_

Ushuy nodded and walked down the road. "Follow me... oh, by the way, what are your names? Yours and the one of your dead friend?"

_-I'm Thaukon. My friend is called Hoti and is waiting for me on Mata Nui.-_

As they walked out of the side street, Ushuy spotted Akapok leaving Vakama's hut. With a jolt in her stomach, she realized she didn't know what decision the Turaga had taken.

* * *

Yeah, I know. Too long and I started using words i shouldn't use. Sorry, but I only use terms I use every day, especially when it's Tahu or the outlaws, and it happened that I had usedthe term ahole a lot when I wrote that part. 

Other things: please write PMs when talking about theories. There's a reason, namely: if the theories hand around the web and I say: pincopallino has won, everyone knows what's going to happen. But that's not the main reason: look at the amount of space those theories take! It's plain freaky! (not that I have anything against long reviews, but it gets scary if I have to scroll down the page just to read ONE review)

Apart from that, somebody came really near with the theories. I'm not telling whether the death theories or the plot ones.

So... um, does anybody want any outlaws biographies? Or Purple-eyed thingy biographies? (only come out when you find out what it is)

And last, I'm gonna put a clue to the theories at the end of the page. If you want clues, scroll down...

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There's one thing you should be already be able to guess what it is. ONE thing. Once you've guessed that right, you're gonna start finding everything easier. It's also the only thing you could actually tell what it was, because there are enough clues around.


	12. Traps to Set a Trap

Disclaimer: bionicle isn't mine.

**Traps to Set a Trap**

A large metal door slid shut behind Hahli, who merely shot it an irritated glance before walking on. After it happened twenty times, each when you least expected it, it just got annoying. Hahli shifted her backpack from a shoulder to the other and kept an eye out for new doors. As she had guessed, a new door opened to her right.

Hahli carefully approached the tunnel and peeked inside. She knew that if she went inside it, the door would close behind her and she'd be trapped in, and the fact that it ended in a closed door was not much of a help. On the other hand, Jaller and the others were bound to be inside one of these side passages, and she couldn't keep wandering around pointlessly, she had lost way too much time... how much? She had no idea.

Yet she kept hesitating. Although the door made her curious – it was only the second closed one she came across, and the first one had concealed a prison – she was worried that it might not open if she went inside the tunnel. And then? What would have happened? How much time would pass before somebody found her? Go on straight or take the tunnel?

In the end, it was a something else chose for her. A sharp, cracking sound made her spin around in surprise. But doing so, she tripped in her own feet, and fell right into the tunnel. The second she was on the other side, the door dropped shut, closing her in.

"No!" she whispered. She turned around to see if the second door opened, but it stayed shut.

_NO! _she thought, as fear filled her like it had when she had been chased in the archives. She ran to the door, as if getting nearer to it would make it open. But the door stayed what is was, closed and heavy.

_No, no no! _She couldn't believe it. All this time there had been doors closing behind her and new ones opening before her, and now that she needed that stupid door to open... nothing.

Then, so slowly it was a pain, the door moved, inch per inch. Hahli didn't wait for it to open completely, and shot through it as soon as the opening was large enough. But she had barely ran a few feet inside, when she crashed against a something hard and cold.

"Ow..." she muttered. Unlike the tunnels outside, that were so full with lightstones you couldn't tell you were underground, this place was lit by only a handful of them, and so Hahli hadn't seen the huge cage in the middle of the room. And if it hadn't been for the glowing eyes, she would have never noticed the figure inside the cage.

"Who's there?" shouted a firm voice Hahli knew so well. Two bright red eyes flashed in her direction, but the expression immediately softened as the figure recognized her. "Hahli? Please tell me you didn't come looking for me!"

Hahli stood up and peeked inside the cage, trying to see something, but her eyes hadn't yet adapted to the dim light, and all she could see were shadows moving. Still, she could recognize the silhouette walking towards her.

"Jaller!" she exclaimed, hugging him as he got near enough to the bars.

"What the heck are you doing here?" asked a voice she recognized as Hewkii's. "Oh no, wait, don't tell me. I think I just found out." Hahli quickly broke away from Jaller, hoping the others couldn't see her blush. Then she turned to Hewkii as a realization struck her.

"Hewkii?" she asked. "When did they take you?"

"Um... one, two days ago, maybe three," he said. "I absolutely can't tell inside here. It was the night after the others disappeared, anyway. What about you? When did you start looking for Jaller?"

"The same night," she said. "Who else is here? Are you alright?"

"I'm here," said Onep, walking up. "Jaller and Hewkii are here, Kotu's here, Matoro is here... and that strange guy Jeea is here."

Now that her eyes had gotten used to the faint light, Hahli could recognize each of her friends, and see a sixth, black Matoran kneeling in a corner, apparently scribbling something on the ground.

"So you sneaked away from Metru Nui to come and look for us?" asked Kotu.

"Yes," said Hahli. "I couldn't let..."

"Are you crazy?" asked Jaller angrily. "Do you know how dangerous this place is? Do you even know where we are?"

"I..."

"You could've gotten killed! You don't even imagine who and what lives here! The whole place is a labyrinth and..."

"Shut up, Jaller," snapped Kotu. "It's not time to get over-protective."

"Maybe, but... Hahli, why the heck didn't you let the Toa take care of this?"

An eerie silence filled the place as everyone waited for an answer, even Jeea had stopped scribbling on the ground.

"Because... because the Toa are **not** looking for you," she said bitterly. "They... they prefer to disinfest the archives and make sure nobody else gets hurt."

"What do the archives have to do with all this?" Onepu wanted to know.

"They think the creatures got you and killed you or something, they think there's no point in looking for you, because you're probably already dead," she said.

"How the heck should the archive creatures get us if they never leave those tunnels?" asked Matoro. "It was not them! It was the Leehar!"

"Don't you think I already figured that out myself?" asked Hahli. "But they prefer to keep building that stupid city!"

"So they're not coming?" repeated Onepu quietly, and expression on his face like his worst dream had been confirmed.

"No, they're not," said Hahli quietly.

"Why didn't you ask Takanuva? He surely would've come with you," said Hewkii.

Hahli hesitated, and those few seconds of silence were enough to make Jaller's face darken.

"I... did... ask him," she said. "But he..."

"Didn't want to leave his new friends Toa, despite the fact some of his once best friends are in trouble?" asked Jaller bitterly.

"Not really, but..."

"Oh, just leave it!" snapped Jaller, turning away from her and sitting far away from the bars, where Hahli couldn't reach him. The pretty Matoran immediately felt sorry for what she had said.

"Jaller?" she whispered softly, reaching through the bars.

"Listen to me," he said angrily. "There's nothing you can do about it. Takanuva prefers the companion of the other Toa now that he's one too. And we're only five, little Matoran. Nothing, compared to thousands. The Toa aren't running after us for something that stupid, we aren't on Mata Nui anymore."

"What are you saying, Jaller?" asked Hahli, alarmed. Thos were the Turaga's words! But Jaller couldn't have heard them... how did he know about them?

"With thousands of Matoran, some disappear each day, it's just normal! This is nothing different just because we're us!"

"Stop talking like that!" snapped Matoro angrily. "You know whose words those are!"

"And there's no way you can get us out of this place, Hahli!" continued Jaller. "Go away!"

Hahli felt like she had received a blow on the head. First Jaller repeating those words she hated so much, and then him shooing her away! What next?

"He's right," said Onepu. "Leave before..."

He stopped, staring at a point behind Hahli. It was then that she heard a the soft sir of an opening door. She turned around. To her surprise, the door she had come through to enter the prison had remained open, and now the one at the end of the tunnel was opening, and Utahop was standing behind it. Hahli looked around for a place to hide, but there was none, and the Toa Leehar of stone spotted her the second he took a step inside the tunnel.

"Why, what a surprise!" he said. "We have a lovely visitor among us. Tell me, what news do you bring us?"

Hahli didn't say anything, but the beaten faces of the Matoran were stories for Utahop. "Oh, let me guess, the Toa aren't coming, right? You had to sneak out of Metru Nui to get here. Well, I can only say: told ya."

Hahli shot Kotu an inquiring look.

"Ever since we came here, he kept saying there was no hope for us, that the Toa Nuva wouldn't come," said Kotu. "We though he was lying."

"But I was telling the truth," Utahop said with a smile. "Told ya."

Hahli stared at him in horror as she realized what she had done. Until now, her friends had clung to the hope that Utahop was lying, and that the Toa were coming to save them after all. Now she had destroyed every hope for freedom. There was no way to get out without the help of the Toa, and they weren't coming.

"But now let's take care of you, Hahli," said Utahop, advancing towards her. "We can't let you go around the place and keep opening and closing doors. It's chaotic enough when you know what's open and what's not." He stopped right before the door. "You walked through this doorway to get inside, didn't you?"

Hahli wasn't sure what to answer, especially because Utahop's tone had become dangerous and angry.

"Did you pass this door to get in?" he asked. "**Answer me**!" He bellowed when Hahli didn't answer. The pretty Matoran slowly nodded.

"Idiot," he browled. "Stupid, fucking Matoran, do you know what you have done?"

Hahli shook her head.

"This door, unlike most others, stays open for two times when one passes it," he said. "One to get in, and one to get out, but if you passed it once..."

"You can't come in to close her up!" finished Kotu, eyes twinkling. "Good for her!"

"And you know what's even more annoying?" he said, glaring at Hahli. "I can't even go back, because that door I came through only opens when this one closes, or from the outside, thanks to a switch. So I'm trapped, in any way."

Kotu's smile faded off her face. If he was trapped anyway, then...

Utahop took a step over the door.

"Hahli, watch out!"

So quickly she barely saw him, Utahop was next to her and kicked her hard. Hahli flew through the air and slammed hard against the metal wall, then fell to the ground unconscious. Utahop walked over to her.

"Hey!" shouted Jaller, jumping up and running to the cage bars. "Leave her! I said leave her."

Utahop bent down on Hahli's body and looked at her. "She really is very pretty..." he muttered, a strange look in his eyes.

"Don't you touch her!" shouted Jaller, pulling at the bars as hard as he could. "**Don't you dare touch her!**"

"Very, very pretty," he said, stroking her softly. From the head, slowly down to her shoulders, along her side, down to her hips...

Utahop felt something wet and slimy hit the back of his head. Someone had spat at him.

"Get your dirty hands off her you... you..." Kotu struggled to find an animal disgusting enough to describe him. Utahop approached the cage and pulled the door open. On the top of it, too high for any Matoran to reach it. He reached inside and grabbed Kotu by her neck.

"If there's one thing I hate," he said, as Kotu struggled to get free. "It's Matoran like you. Filthy little girls with a tongue too quick, and who think they're better than everyone."

"Let her go!" shouted Hewkii, while looking around for a rock he could kick. Utahop ignored him.

"And do you know why? Because they remind me of a certain female thief that lived on Metru Nui, and you know who I'm talking about," he felt that Kotu's movements were becoming weaker, and let her fall to the ground, where she laid, gasping for breath. "You're lucky we still need you."

A groan made him turn around. Hahli was stirring. Utahop walked up to her and grabbed her, carrying her over to the cage. Before he dropped her in, he stopped one more to look at her.

"You really are one very, very pretty Matoran," he said. Hahli gave him a horrified glance as he reached out to touch her again. "Nearly like my Ilag..." he murmured, reaching under Hahli's mask to stroke her face. Hahli screamed and hit his hand, trying to stop him.

"Let her go!" ordered Jaller in his best commanding voice. Utahop looked down at him in annoyment.

"If you don't shut up, I'm keeping her outside with me. After all, I need a toy if I have to stay locked inside here until someone realizes I'm missing," he snapped. Hahli wailed and Jaller shut his mouth. Utahop waited a couple of seconds, then dropped Hahli in the cage, where Jaller promptly caught her. Then he locked them in again, and walked up to a wall, where punched a spot hard. A door opened on the other side of the chamber.

"Lesson number twenty-two on this place," he said, smirking at the Matoran. "This complex was built to trap people like you, not us."

He left, and the second he stepped out, the door closed behind him.

XXXXX

-_This is bad, really, really bad- _muttered Thaukon. -_I can't ask them for help if there's already someone in trouble! But this whole story... it's crazy! Just crazy!-_

"Yeah, just like that purple eyed thing cursing the Turaga with haunted lullabies," agreed Shaa.

_-What are you talking about? Which purpled eyed thing?- _asked Thaukon.

"None of your concern," snapped Kimao. "You already know way too much."

"Will you finally understand we can trust him?" snapped Shaa. "Not everyone out there is an enemy you know!"

"Think about it: how come he know so many things about us?" he snapped. "How come he knows who Gali, Lewa and even Takanuva are?"

-_Because they told me you paranoic tree-kisser!- _growled Thaukon angrily.

"What was that?" Kimao asked defiantly.

-_You have fire-spitter, we have tree-kisser, okay?- _snapped Thaukon.

"I like him," stated Pylok.

_-Look, I'm – along with five other Ihar – Gali's and Lewa's friend.__You can trust me... you have to! The Toa have nowhere to rest on that island! They'll find themselves stuck between two enemies, both that want to kill them for different reasons!-_

"You forgot to mention that one of the two enemies are your friends," hissed Kimao.

_-They are because they think the Toa Nuva did something to them! Because the Leehar somehow managed to make it look like it was them!- _said Thaukon desperately. _-They killed half of our number, just to get me! And now my people want to avenge my death, and I already told you all of this!-_

"Which death? You seem alive to me," muttered Kimao. Thaukon growled and suddenly, his teeth were on Kimao's throat, threatening to kill him on the spot.

_-If I was against you, you'd be dead now, and I'd be having a nice meal,- _he said quietly. -_I only faked my death, that's the only reason I'm still alive. Same goes for Hoti. But I was an Ashra, a leader, which means that my people don't have a guide anymore, and they started it all. Okay? I was there long enough to see a bit of it, in case you want to know.-_ He let go of Kimao, who promptly backed away from him, startled by what had just happened. _-What else do I have to tell you so that you trust me?-_

Kimao shrugged. "Nothing at all, I was just checking you told the same story twice... now don't kill me!"

_-I'm really, really tempted to,- _said Thaukon. _-It's two days I haven't eaten anything, and I have a long swim behind me... and Matoran taste good.-_

Kimao stared at him in shock.

"Just ignore Kimao," said Pylok. "He's done like this. You wanted to know about the purple-eyed creature? We know it's big, that it had at least one clawed hand, that it sneaks in the Turaga's huts at night and sings to them. Oh yeah, and every single person who saw it can state that it has purple eyes."

-_What about the curse?-_

"Apparently when it sings, it seems as if it was cursing the Turaga," said Pylok.

"Yeah, I can actually confirm that," said Kimao with a nod. "I saw it happen: the creature started stroking the Turaga while singing, and the Turaga's mask began to glow."

-_So you can actually be helpful, I was losing all hope to get something that wasn't a stupid, paranoic comment from you,- _said Thaukon. _-So the Turaga probably have some deal with Akapok... namely get the Ilsao in change for their Toa selves. Not convincing. There's a purple-eyed creature that strokes them at night and there are some uninvited archive-dwellers that they give the fault to of the Matoran's disappearances. I know which Matoran are missing... something else I should know?-_

"The Toa left Mata Nui yesterday morning," said Ushuy.

Thaukon's eyes widened with fear.

"_Fucking Karzahni..." _he muttered. Then he turned around and jumped out of the thieves hideout.

XXXXX

"Utahop!" Awel came running down the tunnel as Utahop exited the Matoran's prison. "Akapok just returned. Everything alright."

"Good," Utahop asked. "Maybe we won't need the little guys after all... or those ugly, hunched dwarfs."

"But there's more," said Awel excitedly. "Akapok saw an Ihar in front of the Turaga's hut. According to Vakama, he came looking for the Nuva."

"Sirkul?"

"No, he had the Power of Concealing," said Awel. "Could've been Thaukon, but we killed him, so..."

"So the Toa have other friends here, other than the six," muttered Utahop.

"Don't worry," said Awel. "I was spying on the Ihar last night..."

"You were what?" asked Utahop angrily.

"You know, flying over the island, looking at what's... aaagh!"

Utahop had slammed him against the wall.

"What if the Ihar saw you, huh? What if they were attacking the Toa and one of them realized you were jumping around over their head?" he asked.

"I... I used the Mask of Concealment..." said Awel, terrorized by what Utahop could do. The Toa of Stone let go of him.

"You can fly without your Mask of Levitation?"

"Yep, unlike that clumsy Lewa," said Awel. "I'm small and light, made especially for flying!"

"I know you are, you idiot!" roared Utahop. "We all are!"

"Fine, fine... anyway, it had become quite rough down there. And no kind of dangerous reaction from the Toa," said Awel. "What about the Matoran?"

"The new one is really pretty," said Utahop with a smile. "But they're all beaten up, think their heroes abandoned them when the Toa are already somewhere in here. Maybe one of them will even find them... Wait! Help me, I had an idea that could help us trap the Toa."

* * *

Weird chappy... got totally out of hand. Utahop was supposed to reveal Hahli that Gali was the thief of Ga-Metru... and didn't. It was supposed to by simply: "I found you!" "Oh how nice, now I can lock you in! BY the way, your Toa aren't coming." And instead that idiot of Utahop goes his own way and decides he likes Hahli! 

Utahop: well, she really is pretty.

Me: You're supposed to do what I tell you to!

Utahop: well, you know, some characters have to go by themselves to stay in character. I'm not the guy that destroys people psichically. It took me one month just to make up that kind of thing.

Me: Um, yeah, whatever, it took ME one evening. And I'm not good at it...

I know I'm keeping up with the swearwords and so, but it gives that one touch... honestly, do YOU think one like Utahop would go around saying: "Idiot! You fool of a Matoran!" Naaah. Makuta might be that fine, but not Utty.

Utahop: Utty?

Me: Shut. Up. This is not CA!

If you fell annoyed by them, I'll just take them away... someone already half-pointed out he doesn't like them. And I repeat: someone. This time, I'm not giving him/her the priviledge of anonymousity (anoymo... anynom... huh?) it's just that: his/her review has no name! -**awaits gasps that don't come**- Um... yeah. Anyway: this person somehoe made it to leave a review without a name. Soooo... I prize him with the anonymous invisibility sticker! (Whatever that is)

No really: anyone knows how that's possible? Never works for me.

Oh, and I'd like to point out to this anonymous person: there might not have been a clue, but by now, you should start guessing how the tunnels work. (actually, no, don't even try to guess. It's driving ME crazy, and I designed it)

anyway: thanks for the reviews, and for the wonderful theories. (I admit it: i need them because I don't know how to go on... no, don't worry, I'm just kidding)


	13. Prisoners

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine

**Prisoners  
**

"_I found him, finally!" _said the voice. _"Wandered off, just like I expected..."_

Onua froze. Not that voice again! Would it ever let him in peace? Oh right, insane people didn't get rid of their imaginary companion just by walking off.

"_Now why did he stop? Danger ahead?"_

Onua could nearly see the voice walking past him to check whether there was something dangerous in the tunnel. Great, he was becoming crazier with every second that passed!

"_No, there's nothing... except a chamber to his right, but he can't see it... it's closed..."_

Oh great, his insane mind was creating a voice that talked to itself! What next? Was he going to be able to see the source of the voice?But was it really just a fiction of his mind? Or was there really something invisible, walking next to him? How could he find out? Oh, if only Gali was there! She would've known what to do... or maybe even just Kopaka, to bring him back to reality. But this way, he had to face it alone.

The voice had gone silent now, either it had disappeared, or it was waiting for him to move, or maybe it had decided to keep its thoughts to itself, for a change. Well, there was only one way to find out.

"Are you still there?" he asked. Bad move, he realized, he had just given away the last trace of sanity. Now he even **believed** the voice was there. And what if it didn't answer? What if it **did** answer?

A second passed in silence, then two. Finally the voice spoke. _"No... it's not true... you're just imagining it... nobody can hear you... nobody... only animals... animals with fine ears... he can't hear you..."_

"But I did," said Onua.

"_No you didn't, it's not possible, it..."_

The voice stopped talking, maybe waiting for something. Onua stayed quiet.

"_You... you **did** just hear me?"_

"Yes," Onua admitted. "Ever since that time in Vakama's hut, when he started saying that stuff about thousand Matoran and one. You were trying to get some sense into him."

"_Yes, I remember... so you've been hearing me tho whole time? Why didn't you tell me?"_

"Would you answer to an invisible voice?"

"_Perhaps, if it had something interesting to tell me. But to a voice that was talking to itself... I guess no. Your name is Onua, right?"_

Onua nodded.

"_Take care of your Ilsao, Onua, there are dark forces in here that would give anything to get them. Keep it safe, but get ready to give it away." _said the voice. _"Just don't let them corrupt you."_

Onua frowned. What was happening? Why had the voice suddenly started talking like that?

"Who are you?" he asked.

XXXXX

Thaukon swam through the cold, silvery water, wishing for the second time in his life he had been born female. Kal would've already been bios, if not kios, ahead and much, much less tired. There was no way he would've reached the Mata Nui in time, he was just not made for swimming.

_-Hoti... run! Run! Back to Miko Nui... Toa already there!- _he screamed, trying to concentrate while swimming. Lond-distance thought speak was hard, and even though most mastered it, not all Ihar could communicate like that. He, for one, could only do it if he knew where the person he was trying to contact was. That was why he had told Hoti to stay at the entrance of the tunnel to Mata Nui and wait for him. He just hoped Hoti had heard...

-_Run? Already there? Are you drowning or something that you can't string together two words? Don't worry, got the message. Running! To Miko. Finding... Toa. Which Tikohl?-_

_-Ta-_

_-Ta-tam, ta-tam. Drumrolls. Okay, got it. Running. You don't drown, will you?-_

Thaukon didn't answer and concentrated on swimming, wishing he could close his teeth on Hoti's throat. He was risking his life here, and he started making jokes about drums?

And what was that? Don't drown, will you? What was that supposed to mean?

He looked up towards his destination, incredibly far away. All he could see around him was water, water and water. And maybe a fish. He wasn't even sure he was going in the right direction! Until now, he hadn't though of that possibility: drowning. Now that Hoti had pointed it out, and with the waves splashing at him, it suddenly seemed like a very real possibility.

He remembered all the times he had teased Kal for her powers, saying they were no use. He wished he hadn't, but even more, he wished he had the power of underwater-breathing instead of invisibility or shielding. And as he swam on, he suddenly became aware that his legs were starting to feel very, very heavy.

XXXXX

"There's a traitor among the Turaga," said Tahu.

"What?" asked Takanuva. He and Kopaka turned around simultaneously.

"There has to be!" said Tahu. "How could they have gotten those ideas if they weren't?"

"Makuta influencing them in a spirit form, fear of something we don't know, common sense or simply insanity," said Kopaka with a shrug.

"Common sense?" repeated Tahu, giving him a skeptic glance.

"Face it," said Kopaka. "We're only here because Jaller and other Matoran we know were kidnapped. If it had been some random guy from Ko-Metru, nobody would've cared."

"What do you mean nobody would've cared?" asked Tahu.

"You're no telling me you'd risk your life to save one of my people, are you?"

"No..." admitted Tahu. "But if it was one of my people, I would. And if you asked me for help to find one of your people, I'd come with you! What's your point?"

Kopaka gave him a glance Tahu couldn't quite place, like always after all with Kopaka. "The point is, if it had been some random Matoran, we wouldn't have come to this point."

"True, but..."

"You see?" snapped Kopaka. "In the meanwhile, who knows what might have happened on Metru Nui. The Matoran might be in danger, and we don't even know!"

"Hey, some people have feelings, you know," snapped Tahu. He was starting to get seriously angry. "Feelings, do you know what that is? What would you have done if your best friend had been kidnapped?"

"I would've treated him like any other Matoran," answered Kopaka coldly.

"Right, I forgot you also didn't know what a friend is," said Tahu. "Alright, let's try it this way, what if you knew Gali was being attacked, right now?"

Kopaka shot him a sideways glance. "Why, out of all Toa, did you choose Gali?"

"You know perfectly well why," snapped Tahu.

"No, I don't," said Kopaka. "But maybe Takua does... is there something Tahu isn't telling us?" he asked, turning to Takanuva.

"Um... no, I don't think so..." said Takanuva, looking at Tahu worriedly.

"There's a lot I don't tell you," growled Tahu. "Now answer the question!"

"Are you sure?" Kopaka asked again, ignoring Tahu.

"Um..."

"Don't answer, Takua," snapped Tahu. "He knows perfectly well what I mean. But if he doesn't want to understand... fine! Choose Pohatu, Onua... Makuta as far as it concerns me! Just answer my question!"

Flames shot from the palms of his hands as he spoke. Kopaka was going on his nerves more than usual.

"No, it really doesn't make any difference," Kopaka said sarcastically. "Let's go on, we've lost way too much time." He told Takanuva. The golden Toa hesitated, then walked after him, though not without sending Tahu a last, worried look.

"You're not going anywhere!" Tahu shouted at Kopaka's back. "This is another thing I've noticed. Ever since we got on Miko Nui, you started walking off on your own and taking the lead. I let you do, but this is going too far! Takua, stop! Who's the leader here? You or me?"

"All we've got here is a tyrann," muttered Kopaka, still walking on. Tahu froze.

"What, did you say?"

"I said that the only thing we've got here, is a tyrann, and I do mean you, by the way," Kopaka said coldy. He had barely spoken the last word, when a fireball exploded in front of him.

"You'd better take that back, Toa of Cold Breezes!" Tahu shouted. Takanuva looked at the two worriedly. This was no going a way he liked.

"Forget that," Kopaka said simply. "It's the pure truth."

Tahu roared and jumped on Kopaka, forgetting all about his powers and swords. He wanted to hurt Kopaka, badly, even. He didn't care. He wasn't a tyrann, and had never been! Within a matter of seconds, the two Toa were trying to wrestle each other to the ground, each using only their hands and feets.

"Tahu! Kopaka! Stop! This isn't time to fight!" shouted Takanuva, trying to separate the two Toa. But neither of them listened, both too concentrated on their fight. "Stop, I said, stop!" Takanuva cried, trying to pry Tahu's arm away from Kopaka. "We're here on a mission, we...!"

"Go away!" roared Tahu, pushing Takanuva away so hard that the golden Toa stumbled and fell through a side passage. He stood back up and wanted to go back to Tahu and Kopaka, but a heavy, metal door fell down, blocking his way to the fighting Toa.

XXXXX

Gali walked down the cold, blank tunnel. She hadn't been walking for long, yet she was sure that she had gone a far disatance. Weird... but maybe her sense of time was playing tricks on her again.

She passed a closed door to her left and walked all the way down the tunnel, soon reaching a second door. This time, it was open. She stuck her head in and looked inside, careful not to step in. She wasn't sure how the close-after-someone-came-through worked, but either there was a sensor in the floor, or there was a system that checked if someone was under the door. In any case, this should be pretty safe.

The room behind was just like the rest of the tunnels. Metal and bland. The only difference was that there were less lightstones here. She scanned the walls shortly. Nothing interesting, just a few sticks here and there.

And alarm bell started to buzz in Gali's head. Sticks? She studied them. Some were made of wood, others of metal. Interesting... The sixth sense she had developed during her time as a thief was awakened. One of those things just had to be a lever! What else? Even though it was hard to tell from here, she was quiet sure she could guess which one it was.

The long one right there? Or the wooden one near the on the other side of the room?

No. Wrong, said a voice in her head. If there really was a lever, it would be somewhere next to the door, so that the Leehar could reach it without having to enter the room. She looked to her right, and spotted a a long, metal slab. Immediately, she knew it had to be that one. It was different from the others, not directly attached to the wall, but through a small knob at its base. She reached out for it, but found she couldn't get to it.

Gali cursed softly under her breath. She wasn't going to reach it unless she entered the room just a bit. Sde really hoped the sensor checked if there was someone under the door.

She entered half in the room and pulled the lever, then quickly retreated. Still, before going to look what she had opened, she stopped to look once again at the door and started counting slowly.

_One.. two... three... four... five..._ then the door closed. Five seconds before the door closed. Now it was only a matter of seeing if it always was so.

A sir behind her made her turn. The closed door she had passed was now open. Gali walked up to it and peeked inside. Behind it, was a tunnel, that led all the way down to a second, slowly opening door.

Gali passed under the doorway, which immediately closed behind her. Only three seconds this time. That part didn't count.

She walked down the tunnel and ended in a large, scarcely lit room. There was a large, low cage inside, and a heap of something in a corner. She frowned. Cages weren't put in rooms as decoration. She walked up to it and peeked inside. Many small things were moving inside it, but she couldn't quite tell what it were. Maybe the missing Matoran, but...

A small, red snout peeked out of the cage bars and sniffed at her. Shocked, Gali took a step backwards.

_-You're not Ilag, are you?- _asked a small, smart voice. The thing in the corner stirred. Apparently, the creature in the cage either didn't know how to use private thought-speak, or didn't think it was necessary. Seeing the large, orange-red eyes looking up at her and the small figure, Gali opted for the first.

"No, I'm not," she said, her voice shaking as she tried to get over the shock. Her suspects had come true. The Po-Ihar back in the desert hadn't been talking about Kida or Kal's mother, those were things of the past. No, it had been something much, much more recent... _he had been talking about her pups! _"What's your name?"

-_Jamma,_- said the little Ihar. -_Son of Irashi and Geri.-_

Gali was not familiar with the names, but that didn't exclude the possibility that one of them might be Kal's son or daughter, and even if not, it didn't make any difference. She had no idea how far the Leehar could go when it came to pups, but she could guess what happened to those they didn't need.

"Is there anyone of you son or daughter of Kalythia and... someone else?"

Jamma whined something to the other pups running around in the back, and a black kitten with light blue eyes walked up to her. _-Someone asked for me?- _he asked, blinking at the blue Toa. Gali leaned her self against the wall for support. No, no, no! This couldn't be! This couldn't be real, it just couldn't! But it was, she could feel many pairs of curious eyes staring up at her, and she knew those were not fully grown Ihar. What was the whole point of this? Why did the Leehar suddenly need pups?

She took a deep breath and pulled herself together. She had to stay calm, or this could end in a disaster. First of all, she needed to find out how many pups there were and how many were still alive.

"Okay, listen," she said. "My brothers and I came here on a mission... to rescue six missing Matoran. But..."

_-You're on the wrong side of the maze,- _said a Ga-Ihar helpfully. -_I know they're here, but not nearby.-_

"Er... thanks, but that's not what I wanted to ask you... listen, I was a good friend of Kal, and if I had ever imagined this was happening, I... oh, nevermind. It's not important now... I need to know how many of you..." she stopped, trying to remember the Ihar word for pups and kittens. She didn't want to use the word pups, as it was regarded as an insult. "Sups? Is that the word?"

_-Kups-_ said the Ga-Kups. -_But close enough.-_

"Thanks... how many of you kups are here, and..." she hesitated. "How many of you are still alive."

Thw small Ihar looked at each other, whining softly as if trying to remember something. Gali waited, studying the cage to find the lock in the meanwhile.

"There were at least twenty of them, as I heard," said an elderly voice coming from the corner. "These six are the only one I know to be still alive. It depends on who took care of them. If it was Utahop or Akapok, there are little chances for them to still be alive."

Gali turned to the corner and gasped, retreating a step. She had completely forgotten about the heap, and that it might be alive. Of course, with all the telepathy going around it was bound to wake upbut she had thought it was a prisoner, instead...

"I hear my aspect shocks you," said the creature. "Don't worry, I'm a prisoner, like everyone else." Saying this, he raised a hand, showing the chains that were binding him to the wall.

Despite that, Gali hesitated to get nearer. The creature was small, hunched, and appeared to have something on its back she couldn't identify. But it wasn't that that shocked her, for the creature's head was the one of a Rahkshi. And its eyes! They were dull and lightless, like if he was dead.

"What... what happened to your eyes?" she asked, trying not to sound rude and not showing it how shocked she was.

"I'm not sure myself... all I know is that I was blinded with some sort of curse," said the creature.

_-Don't worry- _said a kups. -_He's ugly but really, really nice, and he can speak Rahi! I think he's cool.-_

The creature smiled softly ad the little Ihar, who didn't show any fear of that creature. Gali grimaced, she couldn't explain the little ones what worried her so much about him.

"But... what are you?" She corrected herself. "Who are you?"

"I'm a Rahaga," said the creature. "Norik is my name."

* * *

Speed up, speed up, speed up... I'm getting to the part I WANT to write... and I want to be on top of the page for a change. ;-) 

Heck, look at all the stories! I mean, when I first came here, there were only 39. Now were's at 205...

And if we reach 500, we get to write to... um... someone and ask for character division in the search option:) That's good because then I don't have to read three chapters of story to find out it's not about the Nuva. :( No offense to thos who don't write about the Nuva, there are good stories there too. I just prefer Nuva stories. :)

Smiiiiiiilies:) :) :) :)

There, I'm starting to give away some things. Soon you're gonna find out what the plot was about.

Tahu: I can tell you: she made a mess and is trying to make a plot out of it.

Me: -glares- not true the only mess is Lhikan!

Thanks to all that reviewed. -waving smiley face-


	14. A Knife of Black Water

Tryout, tryout... what's better? Answering a the top of the page or at the bottom? Anyway... it's a week this has been written... whatever. Goldenrod asked me some questions about the Ihar. Perfect timing, I had just finished photografing my Ihar-MOCs. They're in my profile now. Yes, kaibasgrlx, (mind if I call you kabs or kabx?) Hoti is there too. I had to use what I had for the faces, or better... what my brother had... . ehm, more explanations on my profile... ahem...

now, to my reviewers:

**shadow dragon04: **um... he... was... taken? -curses self for writing something I have no idea how to get out of- okay, not really, I know what happened!

**Regrem Erutaerc: **you know me, I like cliffies, even if I get angry when someone does it to me. :)

**bioniclefangirl: **yeah... although 500 bionicle stories... freaky idea. 0.0

**Goldenrod: **now this is great, I remembered before I read your review, and now I forgot! -beats self up- nevermind, here goes the explanation. (by the way, this chapter would have been up a week ago along with the piccys if it hadn't been for that upgrade)

**Ihar questions: **goldenrod asked me some questions about the Ihar. I think this might interest everybody so I'm posting it here:

**Q:** Are certain 'tribes' of Ihar a certain kind of animal (e.g. Ta-Iharcanine, Ga-Iharcanine, Po-Iharfeline, Le-Iharfeline, Ko-Iharcanine, and Onu-Iharfeline), or are they a mix of both felines and canines?

**A:** yes and no to both options.

**Q:**Are the Ihar biomechanical, like the Toa and Matoran, or fully organic, like us humans (I've seen your drawing for "Heroes of the Past", but that only tells me so much)?

**A: **biomechanical, though more organic than the Toa for unknown reasons. (they can breed)

**Q:** How can the black feline-like 'kup' in your latest chapter in "Heroes of the Present", 'Prisoners', be related to Kal? Are Ihar from different packs/prides (or whatever you call their tribes) able to breed (i.e. feline with canine)?

**A: **they have to. (it's kups, by the way, not kup. Kups sounds better.)

I'm talking in riddles again, I know. The fact is, questions about the Ihar will be answered in the third part of this 'Heroes' trilogy. PM me, or review (review is better, unless it's the last chapter, I always read reviews before I post the chapter, but PMs get lost easily) me or e-mail me or whatever with questions about the Ihar, story and so on, because I have to answer them there. If I'll ever get to writing it. Anyway, enough of the boring stuff.

* * *

Disclaimer: no duh, guess what? Bionicle isn't mine. 

**A Knife of Black Water**

The battle had brought them far from the place they had left Takanuva. In their costant wrestling, punching and kicking, they had driven each other down the tunnels, losing completely the sense of direction and ending up in a new side tunnel. A door promptly closed behind them.

Wham! Tahu slammed Kopaka against a wall, pinning him against it. "Take back what you said!" he growled threatingly. Kopaka shot him a highly annoyed look, then kicked him hard in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble back. In a second, Kopaka was at his side and punched him square across the face. Tahu stumbled back again and would've fallen, if he hadn't crashed against a wall.

"You..." he muttered, as fuel was added to the flames of his anger. He pushed himself off the wall and jumped on Kopaka, who fell. His own momentum nearly threw him off the ice Toa's body, and Kopaka seized the chance to react, trying to win the overhand. The two fighters kept rolling on the ground, Tahu trying to get a grip on Kopaka's throat and Kopaka trying to keep Tahu's hands away and get his sword at the same time. All of a sudden, the rolling space was over, and Kopaka found himself pinned in a corner, and one of Tahu's hands finally closed on his throat. Kopaka tried to pull it away, but Tahu's grip was too strong. As the Toa of Fire went for his swords, he saw Tahu's mask, and the deep gash running down its side. With a quick movement, he inserted two fingers in the wound and pulled them apart, ripping the wound open with a sickening sound.

Tahu screamed as an intense pain shot through the right side of his face. He released Kopaka and jumped to his feet, holding the wound that had stopped bleeding barely three hours before, and was now open again. Kopaka calmly got to his feet and checked himself for any fresh wounds. Not that it made any difference, as his body was covered with countless scratches of the Ihar's claws. Tahu stared at him with a hateful look.

"What was... why did you do that?" he asked agrily. His free hand was shaking slightly from the shock that Kopaka would do such a thing.

"It was necessary," said Kopaka coldly.

"It was... what the heck have you got in that head?" shouted Tahu. "First the frozen Ihar, then this... and both times all you can say is 'It was necessary'?"

Kopaka worthed him only of an emotionless glance.

"You're sick!" Tahu spat at him. "What's up with you? Not even Makuta would do such a thing! Not even the Leehar would!"

"But I'm not Makuta," said Kopaka simply. "Nor a Leehar."

"No, you're right," growled Tahu. His anger, for a moment blown away by the shock, had now come back in all it's power. "You're not even worth being compared to them. You're just a cold-hearted idiot who thinks he's the best on this world!"

"If you're trying to hurt me, you're going the wrong way,"

Tahu laughed humorlessly. "You're right. I've been going the wrong way ever since I met you... trying to hurt your feelings and so on..." He shook his head. "I'm a fool... how can I hurt your feelings if you don't have any? How can I break your heart if it's covered with ice and made of stone? You're not a Toa! You're just the shell of one!"

Kopaka didn't answer and didn't look at him, apparently more interested in the wall in front of him. Tahu felt his anger increase, but didn't say anything else. As he had just said, it was no use trying to hurt the feelings of one who didn't have any. Instead, he started looking around to try and find out where they were.

"Great, we even got lost. Not that we knew where we were before..." he muttered. Suddenly, his eyes fixed a spot at the end of the tunnel. He felt Kopaka's gaze on his back, but didn't turn around. His eyes had caught a light, quick movement at the end of the tunnel, a flash of blue that brought up a quick string of memories.

"You!" he shouted, running down the tunnel to chase after the figure. He sped down the tunnel and quickly jumped through a closing door. The being wasn't running fast, he realized, and if he had been at top form, he would've already reached it. But he wasn't. His whole body hurt, covered as it was with the scratches of the Ihar. A particularly annoying one stung his left leg with every step he took, slowing him down though he did his best to ignore it. Another door was closing in front of him, he dove through it and slid into a large, round room.

"Why Tahu, I didn't expect you to come looking for me," said a sweet, female voice. Tahu looked up and saw a Ilag's slim figure standing barely a few feet in front of him. He quickly jumped up and backed away from her.

"I was not looking for you," he said, trying to give his voice a hard tone. Ilag pouted.

"Oh," she said, offended. "Well then, go on looking for what you were searching."

Tahu did his best to ignore her and looked around. The room was even larger than he had thought, and strage symbols were engraved on the floor and on the walls. It was not round, as he had thought at first, but dodecagonal. Every second of the twelve sides was a door, that led to other places of the labyrinth, while all the others were simply walls, were streaks of lightstone were engraved to form strange symbols he couldn't quite recognize. All the time, he could feel the lack of Ilag's gaze, for some strange reason creepier than if she had been staring straight through him.

He turned back to Ilag, who had been staring determinatedly at the ceiling. The moment his gaze rested on her, she turned around to face him.

"Still here?" she asked. Tahu didn't know what to answer, and Ilag went on. "The Matoran aren't here. It's just you and me."

"Where are they?" Tahu asked, suddenly remembering why he was here. Ilag looked at him with an innocent expression.

"Who?"

"The Matoran!" shouted Tahu, taking an angry step towards her. Ilag shrugged.

"Not telling,"

With an angry movement, Tahu jumped up to Ilag and gripped her arm so tightly she flinched in pain. Tahu looked at her, slightly confused, and let go of her arm, feeling sorry he had gripped her so tightly.

"You have a nice grip," murmured Ilag, rubbing her arm. Then she looked at Tahu's scratches. "I bet that were those horrible Ihar, right?"

"They're not horrible," said Tahu angrily, knowing perfectly well what Ilag was trying to do. "And I want to know where the Matoran are!"

Ilag shook her head pityfully. "You must be tired... how long have you been traveling?"

"At least since yesterday morning," answered Tahu, cursing himself a second later for getting off the topic.

"Poor Toa," muttered Ilag softly, stroking the side of Tahu's mask. Her hand passed lightly over the bleeding gash, leaving behind a sense of pleasant coolness that lindered his pain. It also made him aware of how tired he actually was, not having slept for over a day and having spent his time walking around Miko Nui and fending off Ihar attacks.

"I... " he muttered, but his mind wasn't working properly. Although he saw and heard everything, he couldn't really make a sense of what was going on around him. The only thing he was sure of was Ilag's pleasant, cool touch.

XXXXX

"This place looks familiar," said Pohatu suddenly.

"Oh yeah?" asked Lewa, looking around the place. He didn't see anything familiar in it.

"Yes," said Pohatu. "I think I already saw that piece of metal. And I recognize that lightstone. It's the same one I saw in the archives yesterday... and that thing on the ground..."

He stopped, walking down the passage on his right. Lewa, who hadn't been sure if Pohatu had been hinting that they were running in circles or was simply getting bored of the monotone walking, followed him, limping heavily. His ankle had gotten worse, and was now screaming for a rest. Lewa regretted not being able to fly in the passageways. He watched as Pohatu picked up the thing he had spotted and raised it for him to see.

"Hey, Lewa, look," he said. "This is that thing chroniclers use on their journeys!" Pohatu raised a chronicler's writing tool for Lewa to see.

"Hahli was here," said Lewa. "We're on the bestright way." Pohatu nodded.

"She wasn't here as a prisoner, though. She came here by herself, to look for Jaller and the missing Matoran."

"Um... that was obvious as that Le-Koro is hightree," said Lewa, shooting Pohatu his best 'duh' look. Atlhough none of the Toa had said it out loud, he was sure they had all thought the same thing.

"I know," muttered Pohatu, reddening slightly. "But this is proof."

The sir of an opening door caught their attention. Still holding the tool, Pohatu walked back to the main tunnel and looked around. A few bios forward, Onua had crossed a door, which was now closing.

"Brother!" exclaimed Pohatu. Onua turned around in surprise, then smiled in recognizing his brother Toa.

"Pohatu!" he shouted, a hint of relief in his voice. "Looks like I did find you after all!"

"We must've taken the wrong road at that fork... and then we get winded up here! Where are the others?"

"I opened a wall and got split, I have no idea where they are," said Onua. Pohatu laughed.

"Six heroes, one destiny," he said. "If one splits, everyone splits."

Onua smiled, though he had the feeling that Pohatu's words contained more turth than he imagined.

"Which means that if one discoverfinds the others," added Lewa, poking his head from the side tunnel. "Everyone discoverfinds the others. It's just logical. But first, come here and look what I found! I thought I knew where all of them were!"

Onua and Pohatu quickly followed their eager brother down the side-tunnel, to a semi-closed door.

"At first I thought-dreaded it wouldn't open, like all the other heavy-doors that fell-closed behind us, then I realized it had a handle. I sharp-pulled at it... and look at what I discoverfound behind!" said Lewa, pulling the door completely open. Pohatu looked inside. There was a large, round room, and in the middle of it..."

"A Tikohl!" he exclaimed.

"Yes. An originaly, Miko-Nuian Tikohl-transporter," said Lewa. "Neat, huh? Ametal labyrinth with emergency exit."

"This must be the Leehar's underground complex," said Onua. "The one they trapped the Ihar in during the dai war."

"That makes me think..." said Pohatu suddenly. "Do you think they live here?"

"Probably," said Lewa. "It fits them. A perfect sculpture of their minds, and it was their sweet-home, secret-base and dark-prison when the fought against Makuta. I say, they live here."

"Correction," said Onua. "It was Makuta's base and prison. The Leehar only made it their home after they turned over to Makuta."

"Whatever, now let's go."

"I'm gonna try and keep this place in mind," said Onua, as the Toa left the room to look for their brothers. "We might need a quick escape."

"You can actually remember where this place is?" Pohatu asked.

"After spending your life in tunnels and archives, it's not so hard" said Onua. He suddenly paused to let his hand run down the walls. "This place was built by Makuta, the Master of Shadows himself. It's a place full of shadows and of great power, I wonder what else this place can do, or what is in here."

They left the side corridor and walked back to the main tunnel, just in time to see one of the archive creatures slither past them.

XXXXX

Gali wasn't sure where to go. She had managed to free the Rahaga and the kups thanks to Norik's broken staff and her Ilsao, but now that they were out of the room, she realized there was nowhere to go. The door she had come through was undoubtedly still closed, and the one on the side of the tunnel also hadn't opened. The kups and Norik obviously saw a guide in her – at least, the kups did – and she didn't want to disappoint them, but it seemed they had escaped a prison just to be blocked between other doors.

Gali hadn't been able to find out much from Norik and the kups. Just that the Leehar were obviously interested in keeping them alive for reasons Norik ignored. Though he suspected, he had said quietly, so the kups couldn't hear, that it had to do with a sacrifice or ritual of some sort. There was no other reason for the fact that they weren't dead yet. Gali hadn't been able to find another explanation.

When she had freed Norik and the kups, she had been afraid that the door she'd come through had fallen close, but only the first one had. After a moment of hesitation, she had led them through the first door, hoping the one that gave to the main tunnel would open after the first one closed. Luckily, that had been exactly the case.

"Where are you leading us to?" Norik asked, walking down the tunnel nearly casually. He had followed her footsteps, but now that she had stopped walking, he had no reference of where she was. If at first the strange creature had horrified her, now she just felt pity for him.

"I... don't know," she admitted. "All the door that lead away are closed, and..."

All of a sudden, the door to her right opened with a sir. She gave it a short, confused look, then shrugged. "Nevermind, something just opened," she said. "And we might as well go that way."

Norik nodded, then hurried to keep up with her and the kups' pace as he heard her walk away to his right.

They hadn't been going on for long when one of the Ihar kups heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. Gali immediately signaled them to stop and quietly pulled out her axes, silently moving towards the stranger approaching them. Whoever it was, thanks to the Ihar's ears, she would not be unprepared.

The tunnel was quite straight, though scarcely lit, so she spotted the stranger easily. Unfortunately, he did too, and didn't stop to ask questions. She realized it when she saw the glitter of a sword being pulled out. Istinctly, she stretched her aqua axes before herself and shot a jet of water towards the agressor.

The other reacted quickly, freezing the water that was coming towards him nearly up to her aqua axes before she spotted the danger and stopped the flow.

_Akapok! _She thought. The Leehar of ice was stronger than her, and could use both of his powers at the same time. She had to be careful and use her brains, or she'd have no chance.

She shot a jet of ater at the ground, as if she wanted to flood the tunnel. Her opposer immediately froze the water, then as if to mock her, started skating over the frozen ground, quickly advancing towards her.

_I should have though that,_ thought Gali as she observed the approaching opposer, who suddenly pointed his sword at her. Gali jumped away a second before the power of that weapon struck the place where he had been standing. Doing so, she accidentally put one of her feet on the ice, skidding on the cold surface and crashing to the ground. Her opposer seized the chance and tried to freeze her again, but he hadn't taken count of Gali's agility. With a quick roll, Gali was back on her feet and away from the dangerous area. Normally, she would've been able to get back on her feet, but the long journey and the time without sleep had weakened her. Worse, her opposer knew it, and slid to a stop to create and ice cage around her.

_No! _thought Gali, horrified. She pushed herself on the slippery surface and managed to slide out of the cage a second before being trapped in. This time, she got on her feet, though stumbling, and spun around to face her opposer again. These had tried to creep up on her, and in her movement, she hit him hard with her aqua axes, knocking him to the ground. Not expecting the resistance, Gali lost her balance again and fell, straight on her opposer. The blue Shilara around her neck came in contact with the white Heerole around her opposer's neck...

And all of a sudden both Toa were thrown apart by a blast of pure energy, each landing several bios away, on their backs, and with the sudden realization they had beenn fighting against another Toa Nuva.

"Kopaka!" cried Gali, pushing herself up and skidding over the icy surface to reach her brother. "I'm sorry. I thought you were Akapok! I saw you take out your swords and..."

"Attacked me," finished Kopaka for her, while standing up. Gali looked at him with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked, reaching out to help him up. Kopaka ignored her outtretched hand and stood up on his own.

"I'd feel better if I hadn't been tossed in the air for five bios," he said coldly. "Your attacks didn't do much, but I have to admit you did manage to escape mine well."

Gali looked at the ground. "Sorry," she said again. When she looked up, she noticed Kopaka was staring at a point behind her, suddenly tense. She could guess what he had seen, and her suspects were stated when he raised his sword.

"No!" she shouted, knocking his arm away. The freezing power hit the wall instead of Norik, who had come up along with the kups to see what was happening. "He's of no harm!"

"No, right," said Kopaka sarcastically, staring at the Rahkshi-faced creature before him.

"I swear he isn't," said Gali. "He had all the time to harm me, and didn't! Besides, he was imprisoned along with the kups!"

Kopaka looked down at the small Ihar, as if he noticed them for the first time. "Imprisoned?" he asked.

"Yes, I casually entered the room where they were chained inside, and..."

"You shouldn't have done it," said Kopaka coldly.

"What?"

"They'll only be in the way!" growled Kopaka. Suddenly, Gali wished she **had** hurt him.

"What should I have done?" she asked angrily. "Left them in that room?"

"Yes," answered Kopaka. "At least until we have found and defeated those behind this."

Gali shook her head, trying to get rid of the anger inside her. "And how was I supposed to find them again?" she asked, and Kopaka was surprised to hear that her voice was nearly as cold as his. "There is no way I could've found that room again in this labyrinth. Besides, I **couldn't** leave them, if you know what I mean."

Kopaka rolled his eyes, but didn't add anything else. Now that the damage was done, there was little to do about it. They'd have to bring the pups along, no matter what. And that strange, dead-eyed creature.

"What about him?" he asked, nodding towards Norik.

"That's Norik, a Rahaga," said Gali, not bothering to explain what a Rahaga was. "He was blinded by the Leehar."

Kopaka looked down at the creature, studying it. Despite its appearance, he could tell it was not of the same sort as the Rahkshi, and there was wiseness in those empty eyes.

"Where is Tahu?" Gali asked suddenly. "And Takua?"

"We got split up," said Kopaka simply.

"Oh," said Gali, then stayed quiet for a couple of seconds. She suddenly felt very tired, and became aware of how much time the last time had been since she had had some sleep. "Well, let's go on." She said finally, going back the way Kopaka had just taken.

"The door closed after I went through it," Kopaka said.

"Yes, and the one on the other side opened," said Gali. "Then it closed when **we **passed through it. That one will be open now."

For a while, Gali stayed quiet, keeping an eye on the kups that were having great fun in sliding up and down Kopaka's frozen patch. Two of them had even started a fight that looked awkwardly like the one Gali and Kopaka had just had, but kept finishing in different ways, depending on which kups was faster to dig his or her teeth in the other's neck.

Gali had to laugh as one of the kups lost his footing and landed on his nose. For a second, the stress and the tension dissipated, and she felt amused for the first time since their mission had started.

XXXXX

"Would you like to see where we are, Tahu?" Ilag asked, dragging him to another place in the room. Tahu let himself being dragged along, too tired to react. Some part of his mind was screaming that he was doing exactly her game, but the rest of it was too confused to understand the meaning of those words.

Ilag pointed to the ground and showed what seemed a complicated web of golden strings, with small blobs here and there, and a larger one at their feet. If he had been able to think properly, he would've realized it was a map of miko nui, and that the golden lines represented the tunnels and the rooms. But though he saw everything, though he knew exactly what was happening, he wasn't able to make a sense out of it, nor was he able to make a sense out of the golden lines and dots.

"We're here," Ilag said, pointing to the larger blob at their feet. "You entered here," she continued, dragging him to another place. "Look, every foot between each place represents a day of walk. There are two feet from here to there, yet you managed to take only one day for it."

That made Tahu feel even more tired than he already was. The voice started saying that it was exactly what she wanted, but he could barely har it. Ilag kept dragging him around, showing him where the Matoran were, where another exit was and other things he couldn't understand. The lines began to swim before Tahu's eyes, and he couldn't understand where in the room he was anymore. Ilag was saying something about other prisoners, Ihar and Rahaga. Some part in his mind asked itself what a Rahaga was, but the question was soon forgotten as Ilag proceeded to another part of the complex. Then, suddenly, Ilag stopped and looked at him again.

"Poor, poor Tahu," she said in her sweet, tender voice. "So many people to save, so many things to remember and so many tunnels to walk through. Yet so little time and energy, and so many things in between."

She placed an arm around his shouldesr, and started stroking him with the other, although she had to stand on the tip of her feet to do so.

"So many things in between," she said softly. "Some horrible, other beautiful... like me, like water."

The part in Tahu's mind that was still responding stopped screaming to turn into a huge question mark.

"Water," she whispered, a fascinated look in her eyes. "Isn't water such a wonderful element, Tahu? Beautiful, horrible, dangerous and tender at once. It lulls one in its soft waves, soothing him with its delicate whisper, making him feel safe in its hand, because he feels his tiredness being washed away, the pain of his wounds finally lindered."

Those words were dangerous words, full of hidden meanings, but although Tahu heard them, and understood them, he couldn't make a sense out of them. Ilag let her stroking hand slide down Tahu's back before taking it away, reaching for something hanging at her side.

"Yet beneath its surface," she said, slowly taking out a black, glinting knife, that crackled silently with energy. "It hides a dangerous current, that slowly carries you far away, until you can't see the coast anymore. And when you finally realize what's happening, it's too late."

Tahu stared at the knife, so clearly visible, unable to realize the danger it represented. Then, Ilag pulled him close to her, and he wasn't able to see the knife anymore.

"Isn't water such a beautiful element?" she asked, and her voice was barely more than a whisper. "It can kill you... without needing any kind of violence."

She raised her knife.

"TAHU!" cried a voice, making its way through the fogs of Tahu's ming. Both Toa -- Ilag and Tahu -- turned to face the source of the call. Gali and Kopaka stood in the doorway, open-mouthed, along with a dozen of Ihar pups and a strange creature. But it was their expressions that hit him – an expression of horror, stupor and shock, more visible on Gali's face than on Kopaka's -- finally making him realize where he was and what he was doing. And finally making him understand the sense of Ilag's words.

_Yet beneath its surface, it hides a dangerous current, that slowly carries you far away... _

_No... _Tahu turned to Ilag, who was still embracing him with one hand, while holding the knife high in the air with the other. Her eyes were glinting in triumph, and an evil smile lay on her face.

_And when you finally realize what's happening, it's too late..._

_NO!_

"Too late," said Ilag. Then she brought down the knife, pointing straight at Tahu's heartlight.


	15. Trapped

Disclaimer: Bionicle doesn't belong to me.

**Trapped**

The knife plunged at Tahu's heartlight, sharp and deadly. Then, an inch from his chest, the blade curled upon itself, and Ilag's arm was thrown back with such a force she staggered back several feet and nearly fell. The dagger dropped from her hand and fell to the ground with a clang.

"What the..?" she asked, but before she could finish, a grey flash of energy was on her, digging his teeth in her arm and starting to wrestle her to the ground. In a second, Kopaka jumped up to her and punched her across her face, knocking her out cold. The Ihar let go of her arm and looked up at Kopaka with a pair of blue, penetrant eyes.

_-I can't leave you alone a second, can I?- _he asked. Kopaka's eyes flicked to the symbol on the Ihar's head in surprise.

"Sirkul?" he asked.

_-Yes?- _Kopaka stared at him, suddenly remembering that the Po-Ihar they had met in the desert had said they didn't know what was up with him. Now he could see why.

"Tahu!" cried Gali, ripping them both out of their thoughts. The blue Toa ran up to the Toa of Fire, who was staring in shock at the scene, and grabbed his shoulders. "Tahu, are you alright?"

Tahu blinked and shook his head, finally breaking completely out of his trance. "I... yes, think so..." he muttered, looking down at himself, checking for injury. "I'm alright, yeah..."

"Fine then," said Gali bitterly, drawing back her arm and punching him across the face. Tahu staggered back a few feet and looked at her in surprise. "And now explain us why you didn't tell us about it!"

"Tell you what?" Tahu asked.

"That wasn't the first time, was it?" Gali asked.

"No..." admitted Tahu. "It was... well, it was the fourth time."

Gali's eyes widened. "Fourth? FOURTH?"

"Yes it... don't you punch me again!" Tahu shouted, raising his hands.

"Didn't you realize what she was doing? Why the heck did you let her control you like that? I wasn't going to punch you, by the way..."

"Don't you think I didn't try to?" Tahu asked angrily. "I..."

"No wonder she had such power over you..." muttered Gali. "You should have told me straight away... Tahu, what you experienced is more than just a simple power. More Toa fell because of it than by the hands of Makuta! It's like a current that carries you away, the farther you are from shore, the harder it becomes to come back. And stop looking at me like that! I'm not the one who nearly got killed!"

Tahu didn't say aynthing, instead, he asked gruffly, "What was that stuff anyway? Some new kind of Girlie Pokus?"

Gali shrugged. "Some call it power of seduction, which may be true, but it's also the soothing power of water, the ability to lull one's spirit to sleep... and a sleeping spirit is no danger."

"_...other beautiful... like me, like water..."_

"_I know water, we all know water. We know its power!"_

"_It lulls one in its soft waves, soothing him with its delicate whisper..." _

"_...that's no true power..."_

"_Mark my words, Toa of Fire. One day, you'll have to face water, alone. And then we'll see, Tahu. Then, we'll see." _

The last phrase shot through his head like a bullet as he remembered the argument he had had with Gali just three days before. He hadn't realized it back then, but he had already lost. Ever since the very first night he had passed on Metru NuiThe night of the argument, he had lost again. And if that wasn't enough as proof, what had just happened was the final evidence of how dangerous Gali's power could be. He had faced water, and he had lost. Worse, he had lost against that only part of Gali's element he had known, the one he had never regarded as a 'true power'. He suddenly wished he had the Kanohi Huna and be able to disappear.

"I'm sorry I have to interrupt you," said Norik, who had followed them in the room along with the kups. "But Ilag might wake up any second, and we're trapped inside here."

The Toa looked away from each other and turned their attention back to the room. The doors the Toa had crossed had already closed behind them, just like the one Sirkul had crossed. And all the other doors were closed.

XXXXX

Takanuva walked down the dark corridor, worried about the Matoran's and the other Toa's fate. He had tried more than once to get back, but it didn't work. All doors were mysteriously closed, or closed the second he passed them. He was starting to worry he might end up stuck somewhere.

As if the labyrinth knew his fears, Takanuva suddenly found his way blocked by what he recognized as a door.

_No! _he thought, horrified. He knew that if he turned around and walked back, he'd only come to another door. He was trapped in a kio-long corridor!

Nervousness grew inside him. He had to find Jaller and the other Toa, and then get out of there. He couldn't be trapped! There had to be a way out. Maybe it was even the same way that brought him to Jaller and to the missing Matoran. Maybe.

He turned away from the door and looked back down the tunnel, long and well-lit, yet cold and empty. He swallowed. It made him feel nervous, lonely and abandoned, and it gave him a feeling as if it would go on forever. He could walk through it as much as he wanted, but it'd never come to an end. Never.

He shook those thoughts away the best he could. He had to keep a cool head if he wanted to help someone. What was it he could do to get out?

It was then that he spotted the lever. Half a bio before him, a metal panel was extruding slightly out of the wall. Curiously, he pulled it as far as it would go and looked behind it. Apparently, the panel served to conceal a lever.

In his time as a chronicler, Takanuva had learned that concealed levers were always the key to something big or to a way out. Without wondering why and who had left the panel open, he threw the lever and waited for something to happen, and just as he had expected, soon a door slid open next to him. Glad he was finally getting somewhere, Takanuva walked through the open door into another tunnel.

The door closed behind him, but he didn't worry about it. In front of him he could see another open door, leading into a large, yet dark room. Considering that all the other tunnels were lit nearly to daylight, he found this fact was quite odd. He pointed his staff at the room, sending a beam of light inside. Strangely, it seemed to be a perfectly normal room, metal walls, ceiling and ground. Nothing inside... but maybe there was an exit!

As he got nearer, he suddenly caught a glance of a large, metal cage lying against a wall of the room. He hadn't seen it before because it had been covered by the wall besides the door. A suspect made its way to his head and he sped up.

"Jaller?" he called, pointing his light at the cage. "Kotu? Matoro? Anyone there?"

There was a sudden movement in the cage, then Kotu appeared behind the cage bars and started looking about, suddenly spotting him. Her eyes went wide in surprise, and her mouth dropped open.

"Takanuva?" she cried in disbelief.

"Yes..." he said, speeding up to get into the room. "Don't worry, I'm gonna get you outta there!"

Kotu merely stared at him opened-mouthed, then her expression turned to one of fear as he crossed the door.

"Stay back! Utahop already crossed that door once! If you come in too, it will..."

The door fell shut behind the Toa of Light.

"Trap you in," finished Jaller for her, rolling his eyes.

XXXXX

"We're trapped in!" exclaimed Gali, looking around to find an exit. She didn't like the situation, it made her feel like in a prison.

-_Let's say we're unable to cause damage- _said Sirkul. -_That's how **they** put it.-_

The last words were pronounced with evident hate. Kopaka looked at the Ihar, remembering that he had been kept imprisoned by the Leehar during the Dai war. They had used him to force his father to work for them, until Furoon, Liko, Thiro, Narubi and Rofgi had managed to save him. He wondered what had brought him back to this place. After all, there was nothing that bound him to the tunnels.

-_However, they always forget that security is worthless when the key is known- _he added, looking around.

"What do you mean?" Tahu asked.

_-Each of the tunnels have levers or switches built in, just in case someone is trapped in- _said Sirkul. _-If we find them, we get out-_

"I saw one of those," said Gali. "I had to pull a lever to open the doors that got me into thei kups' chamber. But it was in another room."

-_Because they were in a 'safe' room, inside a 'safe' complex. It works differently. It's protected by two doors with a tunnel in between. Then you have a lever or a switch somewhere, and you have to pull it to open the 'safe' doors. Sometimes it works for both, sometimes just for the one that gives to the room, it depends. Anyway, after you have both of them open, you get inside. You can pass the door that leads to the room twice, so you can enter and leave the room easily. And after the door is crossed twice, it closes.-_

"What if two Leehar have to get in?" Tahu asked.

-_Each door has a sensor beneath it, that reacts when someone crosses it. After a certain time nobody passes the door, it closes. That counts as one time. As long as neither of the Leehar stop to admire the view, it's no problem at all.-_

"You seem to know this place well," Norik said quietly. Sirkul didn't answer.

"Who are **you, **by the way?" asked Tahu, staring at the creature.

"His name is Norik," said Kopaka with a shrug. Something clicked in the back of Tahu's mind.

"Are you... no, you can't be... Rahaga are prisoners, and you..."

"Look like a Rahkshi," said Norik. "But yes, you guessed right, I am a Rahaga."

Tahu frowned, then walked to the center of the room, to the engravure with the golden lines, and started walking in circles, muttering something to himself. As he reached a certain point, he ducked and started following the lines with his fingers, stopping at certain points and murmuring some kind of names. Finally, he looked back up at the other Toa.

"I know where the other Rahaga are," he said. "And the other Ihar... and the missing Matoran."

"What?" asked Gali, running over to him. "How?"

"When Ilag put me in that kind of trance, she started telling me about the prisoners of this place," explained Tahu. "I heard everything. I just didn't understand it. But now..."

"So where are the Matoran?" Kopaka asked. Tahu pointed to a golden dot.

"Here," he said. Then he slid his hand over three other dots. "The remaining Rahaga are in these rooms, and the Ihar..." His hand slid to a large golden plate at the south-most area of the island. "Are here."

-_Nairof is there, if he's still alive- _said Sirkul.

Tahu nodded and stood up. "We have to go."

"And I suppose Ilag also told you where each of the magic switches are, right?" said Kopaka, seeing that Tahu was already heading towards one of the doors. The red Toa stopped dead on his tracks.

"I... well, it can't be that difficult," he said, scratching his head and walking up to the wall. "I mean, it's just about finding a secret lever, isn't it?"

"Yeah, people do these sort of things every day," said Gali, watching skeptically as Tahu walked up and down the wall.

They were all looking at the wall, so they didn't realize that Ilag was stirring. She groaned softly, then, seeing that the Toa had their back turned on her, stood up as quietly as a cat. The knife was useless, she realized, but she had other weapons. Her hand closed on a deadly-sharp aqua ax, and she started creeping up on the Toa.

A door opened with a sir, and a kups, turning around, saw Ilag and started barking, attracting the attention of the Toa. Ilag froze as many pairs of eyes were suddenly on her, then she jumped at Kopaka with a scream, but instead of landing on Kopaka, a blast of wind caught her and she flew over the Toa and against a wall. She was back on her feet in a second, but hadn't taken count of Tahu, who promptly threw a ball of flames at her that caused her to fly back and fall to the ground, screaming in pain. A flick of Kopaka's word, and she was a frozen statue.

"Not so strong when you don't have time to talk, are you?" asked Tahu bitterly, though deep inside he felt a twinge of pity for the pretty Leehar.

-_I didn't know Toa of Water could fly- _said the Po-Kups, Jamma.

"Yes they can if there's an air-Toa nearby to help them with a wind-blast!" said Lewa happily, walking in with Pohatu and Onua. "Looks like I was right. If two reunite, all reunite."

Onua grimaced, feeling that there was little to be happy about that, seeing how the labyrinth was built, and what for. But he didn't say anything, focusing his attention on the little Ihar and a strange creature standing between them. He wanted to ask who they were, but Pohatu came before him.

"What the... Mata Nui! Where do you come from?" he asked the kups.

-_A cage- _said the Ko-Kups.

"Oookay, and what about you?" he asked, looking at Norik.

"Norik, he's a Rahaga," said Kopaka curtly. Norik nodded.

"Right," said Pohatu. "Um... what's a Rahaga?"

"He is," said Kopaka. Pohatu scratched his head.

"Brothers, we know where the Matoran are kept," interrupted Gali, quickly changing topic.

"What?" asked Pohatu, looking away from the Rahaga.

"They're kept in a safe room," said Tahu, who had gone back to looking for the lever. "In the south-east part of the labyrinth."

"And, how do we know how to get there?" Pohatu asked.

"You see that map under your feet?" Gali asked. Pohatu looked down at the floor.

"What? That bunch of golden squiggles?"

"Yes, that one," said Gali. "If you look at the darker outlines around the squiggles, you'll recognize the island of Miko Nui. If I got this right, the Matoran are here" She pointed at a golden dot. "And we should be here, since this must be about the center of the labyrinth, and one of the larger rooms. We just have to remember where to turn right and left, and we should get to them."

"And what about the quick-closing door factor?" Lewa asked.

"Sirkul says there are switches in the maze," said Tahu, tapping a metal plate in the wall. "The problem is finding them."

-_Two steps to your left, hit the square at the height of your chest- _said Sirkul. Tahu looked at him a second, then did so. The door opened with a sir.

"How did you know it was there?" Pohatu asked.

-_X-ray vision, I look at the door and follow the mechanism to the switch, anyone could do it-_

Kopaka raised a brow and looked at the door, activating his mask of x-ray vision. As Sirkul had said, there was a mechanism behind the door that could easily be followed to the switch, even if this wasn't visible from the outside. He made a mental note for later.

"I'm not going to ask why you didn't tell us straight away," said Tahu. "Let's go."

"Wait!" Onua shouted. He was still studying the map. "Did you see these lines? The silver ones?"

"What about them?" Lewa asked, peering down at the map.

"They start from a golden circle," Onua said, pointing to the begin of one line. As he had said, it enclosed a golden circle, and then proceeded in one direction and off the island, getting bigger as it went, until it was a hand-span large. "But then they get off the map and go on." He said, following the line to a strange symbol on the floor, that none of the other Toa could read. Looking on, they realized that after reaching the first sybol, the lines proceeded in a straight line, crossing another symbol, which was similar to the first, and finally reached one of the walls with the glowing marks Tahu had noticed before. Gali bent down to touch the first symbol, and felt a strange, pinpricking feeling cross her body. She looked up at Onua.

"But what does it mean?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I can tell you this. Those golden circles all represent the position of a Tikohl. And those on the ground are all symbols for energy. But that the one nearer to the map is more recent, while the other one is more ancient," said Onua. "I had to do some research when the creatures turned up." He said with a smile, noticing the other Toa's surprised glances.

"And those glowing things on the wall?" Tahu asked.

-_Fire!- _screamed a kups. The Toa turned around alarmed, expecting to see flames somewhere in the tunnel or room, as unlogical as that was, but there was nothing.

-_That is the fire symbol- _the kups said. -_And water, and air, and ice... and all the six elements!-_

"What?" asked Tahu.

"It's true," said Pohatu, getting nearer to one of the walls. "Look, they're the same symbols that behold our powers, the ones that were stolen by the Kal. They're just different... like drawn in another style."

Gali frowned. "But then, why..."

She never finished. In that moment, the Toa were all yanked in the air like from an invisible hand, and slammed against the engraved walls. The glowing lines suddenly came to life, wrapping themselves around them and stripping them tightly against the walls, each Toa bound by his or her own symbol. The kups wailed and started running throughout the room, panicking, but every time they passed near one of the newer energy symbols, these also came to life and curled around their limbs, pinning them to the ground and stopping their escape.

Sirkul's eyes went wide, then, he too was lifted in the air. Too late he reacted with his own power, trying to pull himself back to the ground. He was flung against the ceiling and collapsed to the map, unconscious.

"Sirkul!" cried Kopaka, trying to pull himself free of the magic bonds, but they wouldn't let go of him. Instead, their grip tightened, pressing him against the wall until he could no longer move.

"What's happening?" asked Norik from besides his legs, who, being blind, hadn't seen anything. But Kopaka didn't get a chance to answer, because someone else started speaking.

"It's no use struggling, Toa," said a calm, calculating voice, coming from the tunnel through which Onua, Lewa and Pohatu had just reached them. "Those bounds are unbreakable."

Norik frowned and turned his face towards the source of the voice, though he couldn't see anything. That voice had something familiar in it, but try as hard as he might, he couldn't remember where he had heard it before, or whom it belonged to. Once again like so mayn tother times, he wished he stll had his sight to be able to see who it was he heard entering the room.

There were gasps and shouts from the Toa, and if Norik had been able to see, he would've seen Turaga Nuju enter the room.

* * *

Stupid ending, stupid chapter, stupid everything. This is one chapter I'm gonn have to edit thoroughly in future. Grrr... -angry at myself- anyway: i'm away for a week and i can't think of anything better. which is why I'm posting this, If i come up with something better during the week, this chappy will be replaced. (first and hopefully last time i do something like this) 

**shadow dragon04**: takanuva will have a near-to-undisturbed (I hope) appearance in the next chapter.

**Hordikanui: **a bunch of trouble

**Regrem Erutaerc:** yes, which is why i hate how this chapter ends, it just sucks. .

**Bioniclefangirl: **manipulative? No really... and no, it didn't get interesting, which is why i hate this chapter.

**Slythergrl2004: **yeah, and the first time i saw your picture, i had to think of ths part. I told you, remember?

**Nova of the Khalai: **well, it IS the sequel... i hope the rest of the story doesn't stay at the level of this chapter. yes, im still into bionicle though after this trilogy is done, ill probably finish CA and then leave the bionicle section for good.


	16. Rescuing the Matoran

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine

**16. Rescuing the Matoran  
**

"No!" shouted Takanuva, running to the door and slamming his fists against it. "No, no, no!"

"Way to go, sports," muttered Jaller. Takanuva didn't seem able to her him.

"I can't believe it," he muttered. "From a trap to a trap." In a sudden frustration, he gave the door a sharp kick and pointed his staff at it, with the intention to burn a hole through it. But the door simply absorbed the thin beam of light that had shot out of his staff. He tried whacking it, but it wouldn't help wither.

"Give it a break," snapped Jaller coldly. "It's not going to open."

Takanuva finally turned around and looked at Jaller. Unlike the other Matoran, he hadn't come to the bars to look at him, but had remained sitting somewhere in the middle of the cage, and wasn't looking at him. He felt a pang in his chest.

"Yeah, um... Jaller, I... you aren't... I mean..."

"Just tell me," Jaller asked, cutting him off. "When exactly did the Turaga change their mind about the archives? Because they did change their minds, didn't they? Otherwhise you wouldn't be here."

"What?" Takanuva asked, not understanding.

Jaller turned around and glared at him. "You used to not care about what the Turaga said. Why did you suddenly have to start worrying about it? You could've got us all killed! Do you realize that?"

Takanuva frowned. "Who told you..."

"It doesn't matter who told me!" Jaller shouted. "What matters is that you didn't come looking for any of us and listened to Mata Nui knows what Turaga's excuse instead!"

Takanuva held his arms outstretched before himself and shook his hands defensively. "No! I mean, who told you that..."

"Do that again," interrupted him Jeea. Everybody, including Takanuva and Jaller, turned to look at him.

"Uh... what?" Takanuva asked.

"Do that again," repeated Jeea. "That movement."

Takanuva frowned, but shook his hands again nonetheless. Jeea looked at him hard, as if trying to remember something, then nodded and smiled knowingly.

"You're Takua, aren't you?" he asked. The golden Toa – and the other Matoran, looked at him as if he came from the moon.

"Um, yes?" Takanuva tried unsurely.

"I recognized you from your way of moving," Jeea explained.

"More like from someone repeating the 'Mask of Light' story for the hundredth time," muttered Hewkii. Jeea looked at him as if he didn't understand what he was saying.

"'Mask of Light' Story?"

"Yeah, you know, strange, golden mask found, Seventh Toa, Tahu being last-minute saved by Gali -- 'Oh, those two are bound to get together! They'd make such a cute couple!' -- you know, that sort of stuff," Hewkii said.

Jeea still didn't seem to understand.

"Never heard about it?"

Jeea shook his head. Hewkii raised his hands to the sky. "Where do you live?"

Jeea merely strared at him, blinking.

"Just get us out of here, Takanuva," Onepu said, a slightly amused expression on his face. "Before this turns into a debate about which version of the story is true."

Takanuva smiled slightly – in the time he had live on Metru Nui, he had heard so fantastic versions of Hahli's chronicle that he wondered whether anyone had avtually bothered to read it – and sent a thin beam of light at the lock, just like he had tried to do at the door. The concentrated beam burnt its way through the hard protodermis, and the lock sprung open. Takanuva then opened the door and helped the Matoran out. When it was Jaller's turn, he refused Takanuva's hand and climbed out on his own, though it took double as much time and at least three times the strength.

"Good," said Matoro, once everyone was out. "And now?"

Takanuva hesitated, his plans – if he ever had any – stopped here. "Good question,"

"Now we open the second door, of course," Jeea said, as if it was the most obvious and simple thing in the world. Everyone else stared at him.

"Aaaand... how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Kotu asked. Jeea stared at her as if doubting of her intelligence.

"We punch the switch, just like he did," Jeea said. Kotu rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, because we all know where the switch is, right?"

"Excuse me, what are you all talking about?" Takanuva asked.

"Well, after Utahop found me and locked me in, he trapped himself in this room too," explained Hahli, shuddering at the memory. "And then he puched – literally – a spot in the wall to get out. Then he did that again, about..." she hesitated. "Ten minutes later?" Minutes or hours? Seemed as if not only the tunnels could distort time.

"Jeea's suggesting we punch that switch to get out," said Kotu. "Apart that it's too high for any of us, we don't even know where it is."

"Utahop's just a head taller than me," Takanuva said with a shrug. "It can't be **that **tall."

"Why, little Takua has grown," said Kotu, studying him from toes to head as if it was the first time she saw him.

"Nevermind that... where's the switch? You must have a half idea where it is."

"Somewhere in that area," said Hewkii, pointing at an undefinied zone to his right.

"That's helpful," commented Takanuva, looking at the wall. "What's this? Some sort of conspirancy to break my fist?" Jaller scoffed and rolled his eyes, but Takanuva thought he could see a sparkle of amusement in them.

"Not really. We were actually planning to have you smash your **head **against the wall, but we decided that a fist would do too," Hewkii answered.

"That's not true," said Jeea through everyone's nervous laugher. "And the switch is right there." He said, pointing at a precise spot in the wall, at about the level of Takanuva's chest. Everyone stopped laughing and stared at him.

"Are you sure?" Takanuva asked. "That part of the wall seems pretty not-switchlike to me."

Jeea nodded. "Completely sure."

Takanuva hesitated, then walked to the wall, drew back his fist and slammed it hard against the shiny metal.

A sharp pain shot through his hand and rebounded the whole way up his arm. He yowled in pain and shook his throbbing hand.

"You said you were sure!" he said.

"I **am** sure, it's you that should've hit more to the right!"

"You have my hand on the conscience, and all you can say is that I hit the wrong **spot?**"

"It's true!" said Jeea, not understanding.

Takanuva stared at him funny. "Jeea, you're weird."

Jeea merely stared at him with his permanently surprised face. Takanuva shook his head and went back to the wall.

"Where is it? Here? Or here?"

"A bit more to the left... a bit higher... there,"

A minute later, they were walking down the tunnel behind the emergency exit.

"Safe is safe," said Takanuva, rubbing his hand. "But this is ridiculous!"

"That was just an emergency exit," said Onepu.

"Huh?"

"Utahop sort of explained it all to us," said Matoro. "The door that brought you to us can be crossed twice, so one can get in and out."

"Except that it closed behind me after I crossed it **once**," Takanuva pointed out.

"That's because Utahop had already crossed it," Hahli said. "Remember when I said he trapped me? I also said he came back ten minutes later. This time, he came in, crossed the room and went out through the emergency exit. We had been wondering what the point of it was."

"To trap me," Takanuva said, remembering the half-open panel with the lever behind. "Us," he corrected himself in a sudden realization.

"Us?"

"He knows we're here..." he whispered, eyes wide as the scenario slowly unveiled before his mind. Utahop knew they were coming, but had let the Matoran believe the opposite, probably to make them feel miserable, then he had set this trap for him to fall in... something that he had done perfectly. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, what if they were **supposed** to escape. What if Utahop was somewhere around there, just waiting for the to turn around the bend...

_-There you are!- _shouted a voice in that moment. -_One of you, at least.-_

Takanuva was so deep in his thoughts that he jumped a foot in the air when that voice literally broke through his mind. He flashed his staff around nervously, expecting to see Utahop's huge bulk in front of him. Instead, the beam found a large, brown cat staring up at him in relief.

_-Turn off that light!-_ shouted the cat, narrowing his eyes at the suddenl light. _-It's just a waste of energy.-_

Takanuva stared at him open-mouthed. **"Hoti?"**

_-No, Heriki the archive mole,- _Hoti said sarcastically. _-Yes of course it's me! How many dead talking cats do you know?-_

"But... the other Ihar told us that..."

_-They don't know a thing. With the exception of the ones that rescued Thau, perhaps, and even of those I'm not sure. You're gonna have to ask him how exactly he got that trick- _Hoti said. _-We faked both our deaths in secret, we couldn't trust anyone, you see? I doubt Thaukon even told Kal or Kishro.-_

"You faked your deaths?" Jaller asked. "Why?"

_-Because someone was hunting us down one by one and because there were seven Toa instead of five, as there were supposed to be... don't worry, uncle Takua will explain it all to you later-_

"And I thought you were gonna say 'uncle Hoti'," muttered Takanuva.

_-Naaah, I'll have my girlfriend to reassure and my brother to annoy and all the attention to get... better if you do it,- _he said with a smile. _-Now, where are the others?-_

"I have no idea," said Takanuva. "We got separated."

Hoti frowned. -_Should've expected it... oh well, there are only twenty-eight places where they can be. The center of the maze or one of the twenty-seven prisons of the complex.-_

"An I bet they aren't all aligned in one spot, are they?" asked Onepu.

_-Are you kidding me? They're scattered all over the place! No Ihar in his...- _he stopped. _-Nevermind... Does this tunnel lead anywhere?-_

"Yep, to the twenty-seventh prison," Hewkii said.

_-Great. Okay, fine, let's turn around. I think I saw another door other than the one I came through while coming here.-_

"Hoti, you were looking for us," Takanuva realized suddenly as they walked out of the tunnel.

_-Yeah, why not?-_

"But how did you know we were here?"

_-Asked around-_

"They thought you were dead, Hoti."

_-Thaukon was on Metru Nui, okay? He told me through long-distance thought-speak about you this afternoon- _he sounded annoyed.

"But then... how did you come here so quickly? It took us... I don't know how long we've been wandering around here, but it's at least..."

_-Two days by now- _said Hoti. _-Don't look at me like that! It's the truth.-_

"But you..."

_-Wasn't hurt and ran fast,- _said Hoti. He noticed Takanuva's skeptic glance. -_Hey, it's normal! I train each day, and Ihar are fast by themselves. Imagine with my power working!-_

Takanuva could've slapped himself. Of course! He had forgotten of Hoti's power. It made sense, it made perfectly sense. Thaukon would've certainly taken much more, but Hoti had the Power of Speed. Something about the Kanohi Nuva of Speed clicked in the back of his mind. He wondered if it worked for the Ihar too. Could Hoti cross walls with his powers? He'd have to ask him later.

They turned left and headed down the way Takanuva had come. He only felt a mild surprise when he realized that the door which had closed behind him minutes ago was now open, though with no apparent reason. He had decided that if he didn't want to lose his sanity, the best thing was to accept things like they were. Especially on that island and even mor ein that maze.

Jaller thought it otherwhise.

"How do you know this place so well?" he asked.

_-This is the first time I'm here- _Hoti said. Jaller waited for more, but nothing came.

"That's not an answer," he said.

_-That was another way of saying: 'I don't'- _

"I don't what?"

_-Know this place so well-_

"Then why are you walking around the place as if you'd known this maze or all your life?"

_-You said well, **as **if I knew the place my life long. I have no clue where we're going, no idea where we'll come out... and if you want to know everything, I don't even have a firm house in the desert, so I never cared of training my sense of direction.-_

Jaller stared at him in horror. "So you have no clue where we are?"

_-Yep- _he answered. Takanuva had to hide a smile at the look on Jaller's face.

"But then... what were you planning to do, exactly?"

_-Find the center of the maze, but I'm actually making it up as I find the Toa-_

Jaller stared at him in clear doubt, probably wondering whether the cat was sane or not.

_-I **am **crazy, by the way. Thought you'd like to know- _

Hewkii grinned. "I bet that's why we're out of the cage."

_-Exactly- _Hoti said with a sharp nod. _-Otherwise I'd be curled on a Mata Nuian beach, sleeping the day off.-_

"You were on Mata Nui?" Kotu asked.

_-It's the only way we knew to Metru Nui- _said Hoti. -_Of course, we could've used the Tikohl, except that it was... how do they say again? Oh yeah, smash-dashed! And that because of a Turaga staff.-_

"What do you mean?" asked Matoro. "The Turaga didn't break it with their staffs!"

_-And that's not what I meant-_

"Then what?"

_-Nothing you want to hear. It has a lot to do with you, not with your Turaga.-_

"I feel insulted," muttered Onepu.

"Maybe we just have been," said Hahli quietly.

Silence fell over them like a curtain.

XXXXX

The Turaga staff clinked on the ground with each step Nuju took, together with the other six belonging to the other Turaga. Behind them all, Akapok entered the room, pulling a couple of levers and pushing a plate to close the door behind him. He moved calmly, as if he had all the time in the world.

Kopaka's mind was rushing. He didn't know why that strange creature called a Rahaga was kept prisoner there, but he couldn't let Akapok see him. His legs were still free, kept slightly suspended by the bonds. With a set of quick movements, he ued his feet to shuffle the Rahaga behind his legs.

"What are.." mumbled Norik, not exactly happy with that treatment. A sharp kick made him shut up. He couldn't see what was happening, but there had to be great danger in the Toa came to these measres, probably the Leehar who had come back. But whom did the elderly voice belong to?

"Surprised, Toa?" another elderly voice asked. Another **familiar **voice. Why, why couldn't he place it?

"Was our decision unexpected?"

"Much less than you imagine," said the voice of the one he thught was Tahu. He didn't know many names, he suddenly realized. Only the water Toa's and Tahu's. And Kopaka. And even so, he asn't sure what elements they controlled. He greatly regretted being blind.

"**Much **less," Tahu's voice, full of hate and anger, had an unsure undertone. He was lying, trying not to show how shocked he was. Something bad must've happened. Tahu must've trusted the one talking to him.

Kopaka's feet moved once again, pressing him against the wall. What was happening out there?

The elderly voice laughed, a "fire" laugh. He wasn't sure how to explain it, he simply knew it.

"Don't lie to your Turaga, Tahu," the voice said. "It's no use."

"_So that's what's happening!" _Norik suddenly realized. The Toa's Turaga must've somehow been tricked into going over to the Leehar's side! He suddenly remembered a similar episode, that had happened over a thousand years before...

He shook his head and wished Vakama and his teammates were here. **They **would've sure known what to do...

* * *

Poor Norik... hehe. 

As much as I'd planned to go on, I thought I'd stop this here. The problem when writing on paper, epecially the way I am, is that you never know when you should finish the chapter.

It turned out that our computer was up about two days after we transferred. Pity it had mixed up all the passwords, and thanks to a certain software called "Content Barrier X", I couldn't get on for unknown reasons. :( After I finally got on, my great, great computer mixed up all the passwords and I couldn't get into half of my accounts. :O Then I was about to upload this, and suddenly read the notice in red from Luckily, it was 9PM here, not in the US.

Whatever. Now I'm back and even have half of the pictures for "friendship strained, friendship strong" anyone who has a character inside should check out my account immediately to see whether the characters really are as they're supposed to be. Please PM me for anything.

Reviews:

**Regrem Erutaerc: **These tunnels confuse ME! . i changed it anyway, better now?

**Slythergrl2004: **in the end, yes. except for Takanuva. why?

**Bioniclefangrl: **yeah, if I DID edit it. ;-) I figured out that since I usually edit my stories after they're completely wirtten, that could wait.

**shadowdragon04: **very indisturbed. It's missing the final part, though, that's why it's so short... and boring. more a passing-on chappie.

**Nova of the Khalai: **you can say that out loud... -sigh- I'm having problems writing because of school, and now it's probably gonna get worse since I just moved and so... oh well. let's hope I find a rythm this year. (i'm still positive on leaving the section though, but don't worry, I'll finish EVERYTHING here. no matter how long it takes, I promise I'll finish this trilogy and although this is a big maybe CA. and you might still get some one-shots in that time)

**Magdalain-Saiyan-Toa: **what am I? and advertisement board:D don't worry, I don't mind you doing this. when's the musical scheduled for? (as fot Tahu, who knows, maybe ina future one-shot or chapter...)


	17. Infiltrations of Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, and the switch at the end of the chapter was deliberately taken from PoP Sand of Times.

**Infiltrations of Darkness**

"Not another dead end!" shouted Takanuva, slamming his fists against the door.

_-Hey! Cool it! Not all hope is lost yet- _Hoti said.

"Noooooo, we're just off for a two hours walk throughout these tunnels!" grumbled Matoro.

_-I thought you had learned the lesson by now. One, never say never around an Ihar. Two, if you are around an Ihar and still alive, you're off into a mad adventure without rules of any sort. Three...-_

"If that Ihar's name is Hoti he'll never shut up?" snapped Jaller.

_-No, that's Kishro- _Hoti said seriously. _-Three, there's always a lever to open these doors so the Leehar don't find themselves trapped in some room and have to wait like morons for someone to figure out how to pull them out.-_

"Something that I doubt any sane person would do," commented Kotu. Hoti chuckled.

"I have a question," Jaller interrupted. "How exactly do we find the lever, or panel, or whatever we have to move, kick or pull to open the door?"

"Here I'd go back to my 'smashing Takanuva's head' plans," Hewkii proposed.

"Huh?"

"Toa Takanuva," Hewkii said solemnly, turning to the golden Toa. "I'll leave you the honor of banging your head against every spot around this wall to find the switch and open this door."

"I think I'll leave that honor to someone else," replied Takanuva with a smile.

-_I hear voices- _Hoti suddenly announced.

"Oh, you've finally gone crazy?" taunted him Jaller.

-_If I had, you wouldn't be able to witness it,- _Hoti retorted angrily. He was starting to get sick of Jaller's attitude. The Ta-Matoran had made it clear he didn't think very highly of the Ihar, which normally wouldn't have bothered Hoti too much, but Jaller had a way of acting that simply went on his nerves. He guessed knowing that Thaukon was struggling to get alive across the silver sea, Kal fighting to not lose her sanity, Kishro longing to be able to run through the treetops again, Nairof trapped and Sirkul he didn't know anything about was simply too much to keep his normally optimistic-happy-careless-whatever nature.

"What does **that** mean?"

_-Figure it out yourself!- _Hoti retorted, hissing angrily. His teeth shone eerily in the lightstone's glow.

"Stop it you two, please!" Takanuva pleaded. "We must find that lever, we can't afford to waste time in fighting!"

"He's right," agreed Onepu. "Look, guys, we still haven't gotten out of this labyrinth, and there are still Leehar after us. We must not lose time arguing."

"I agree," Kotu said. "Seriously, every second we pass here seems to take hours. I can't stand this anymore, I want to get **out**!"

"We all want to," Jeea said quietly for the first time since they had left their prison. "But we won't get far if we keep doubting of our only guide."

_-Huh?- _Hoti looked downright confused. _-You actually trust me?-_

Jeea looked at him, just as confused. "Why not?"

_-Well, I'm crazy, unreliable, random, unpredictable... unresponsible!"_

"Our current Toa of Light is like that," Jeea pointed out. Takanuva shouted a "Hey!" of protest, but nobody listened to him.

_-I'm an Ihar too-_

"So what?," Jeea asked.

"Yeah, I'm asking myself the same thing," said Jaller, a suspicious tone in his voice. Now everyone had their eyes pointed on Hoti. The brown cat stared at them with wide eyes, an expression that could've been surprise on his face, as much as fear or simple dumbness. It was hard to tell with Ihar.

-_I'm... what I am- _he said dodgingly.

"I don't mind," said Jeea with a shrug. The others nodded in agreement, all except Jaller.

_-Fine then... I'm... I must admit I'm flattered though, I'd have never thought...- _he stopped abruptly. _-Let's find that switch...-_

XXXXX

Akapok observed the scene, greatly enjoying the outcome it was leading to. As the Turaga openly declared their deceit, the Toa started looking desperate. Ihar down, Turaga down, Matoran down... Toa down. Soon. That left nobody to watch over Metru Nui. There was still the problem of that Ihar who had appeared in front of Vakama's hut, but what could a single Ihar do against their power? Unless there were more, of course. But they had already proved themselves able to destroy the Ihar population if they wanted. So what difference could another group make?

"We told you not to go looking after the Matoran," Whenua said.

"So what?" Tahu snapped back. "Just because for once we did what we thought was right and didn't listen to you doesn't mean you have to change sides immediately!"

"But we didn't change sides!" Onewa said in a surprised tone.

"We're here simply to get back what was once ours," Matau said, eyes glinting.

"What?" Lewa asked obviously not understanding a thing.

"Now you lost me," Pohatu confessed. The other Toa nodded in agreement.

"Let's just say Akapok offered us something in change for... practically nothing," Vakama said with a smile.

"He did what?" Gali asked in disbelief.

"Excuse me, but the day the Leehar offer something for practically nothing, thieves will start returning objects to their owners," Lewa said.

"How do you know?" Nokama asked. "Did you ever even try to come to a deal with them?"

"Er..." Actually, they had tried. Once... twice. Except that they couldn't tell... weren't allowed to tell. Slowly, the silence they had kept for over a thousand years was starting to reclaim its price.

"As I thought," Nokama said.

In that moment, one of the six doors slid open, and Awel and Utahop entered the room, looking very pleased with themselves.

"What did you do know?" Akapok asked. "Thrown some pup in a ravine filled with poisonous plants?"

"Very muchbetter," Awel said.

"Yes, we just set the best trap of our lives," Utahop said, smiling.

"For who, the Hir?" Akapok asked, gesturing towards the six Toa hanging from the walls and the six Turaga now neutralized.

"No," Utahop said, looking slightly crestfallen. His eyes scanned the room, looking for someone whom they hadn't caught yet. As he did so, his eyes passed over a frozen figure he didn't take much to recognize.

"Ilag!" he yelled, running to her side. The Leehar of Water was still lying frozen on her side. Horror swept over him, seeing the pretty Toa of Water made so helpless. Who, who could have done this to her? He pressed his hands on the ice, trying to touch her trapped body, as he struggled to find a way to free her from her prison. He considered trying to break the ice, but then thought better of it. He'd have to wait it to melt by itself. Just how much would that take?

"Do something!" he roared at Akapok, who was peering over his shoulder in mere interest.

"Like what?" Akapok asked. "I can only create ice, not melt it." He turned around to look at Tahu. "Perhaps our hostage here will volunteer give you a hand?"

Tahu snarled something that would have gotten him kicked out of any Ga-Metruan school -- or any other school, as a matter of fact.

"Is that supposed to be a no?" Akapok asked. "Why, I thought you and Ilag were friends... close friends."

"What?" Utahop asked, spinning his head around to glare at Tahu. The red Toa felt his face glow burning hot.

"Piss off, Akapok," Tahu said through gritted teeth.

"What's this story about you and Ilag?" Utahop asked. His face had also reddened, but out of anger.

"You can ask your little akita here as soon as she can move again!" Tahu answered sharply. Utahop clenched his fists and advanced towards him, eyes sending sparks. Tahu glared back. Just let him try hit his face. He'd just conjure a shield and let that great, brown idiot punch his anger out, until his fists burst open and started to bleed. Yeah, just let him try. He was going to have fun seeing him punch something to death, for once. Punching and punching without understanding, in his rage, that there was no way he could reach him, hitting harder and harder as the frustration grew for not being able to get him. Even after the blood had started trickling down his hand and wrist, to drop on the floor he...

_What sort of thoughts are that??? _

In that moment, it suddenly occurred to Utahop that there had to be a reason why she was covered in ice and unmoving on the floor. Ice didn't form by itself in caverns or tunnels. It could have only been a Toa of Ice that had done this. Not Akapok, he would never do anything that enraged him, though more because he never thought when he was angry than out of fear. His eyes stopped on the only other Toa of Ice in the room.

"You," he said hatefully, advancing towards Kopaka. The ice Toa suddenly became aware of the situation he was in. Bonded unmoving against a wall, only his face exposed. Unlike Tahu, he had no way to creat a protective shield. And then there was the Rahaga hiding behind his legs...

"Oh, I'm so gonna KILL YOU!"

XXXXX

They had gone up and down the tunnen ten times, studied every plate of metal in the wall, and Takanuva had shone his light in every dark corner they could see, and they still hadn't found the stupid switch.

"I give up," Onepu finally said, sitting down in the middle of the tunnel. "This is senseless. There must be a reason the Leehar think this is a safe place, and I'm sure that involves the levers hidden well in places no one would expect." He paused. "Or maybe it involves a system like the one in the archives."

_-And that is?- _Hoti asked.

"Three hidden lever, that have to be thrown in the right order, to open the door. Oh, and the hiding place and order is changed each day," Onepu said, with a smile of pride. "Nobody unallowed could get inside there."

Hoti looked at him in disbelief. _-What the heck are you hiding in there? The key to world domination?-_

"No, Rahi specimens, frozen in time inside special stasis tubes. Rahkshi, Krana... a lot of thing that shouldn't get loose," Onepu said.

_-You guys are real paranoic freaks-_ Hoti said, brushing Onepu's pleased exression from his face.

"You never saw the archives, it's not only to stop people from freeing the specimens, it's also to protect any curious fool that'd surely get themselves lost," he said."That place is a labyrinth, you know, and it's huge."

"Then you should feel at home here," Matoro said bitterly, also dropping to the floor. "I wouldn't know how else to describe this place, other than a maze!"

_-Representation of Makuta's mind- _ Hoti said.

"What?"

_-That's how you could describe this place-_ he said.

"And where in Makuta's mind are the switches?" Jeea asked.

"What do you mean with that?" Takanuva asked.

"Nothing, I was just asking," Jeea said. But Hewkii's face had already lit up.

"Guys, I know, listen! What's the most stupid place you could hide a lever in?" he asked. "A place you'd never put it?"

"In the door itself," Kotu answered quickly.

"Exactly!" Hewkii said. Hoti didn't look convinced.

_-Ever heard of doorlocks? It's not that stupid place, you know- _he said.

"I know, but it's obvious!" Hewkii said with a grin. "Where's the first place you look for a lock? On the door itself. But you'd never go looking for a lever on the door!"

_-You have a point- _agreed Hoti. -_And now listen to this: what if what we find is really a lock?-_

"What do you mean?" Jaller asked.

_-How do we open it?- _

Hewkii's smile disappeared too. "Ahhh..."

_-We'll think about it if we find it- _ resolved Hoti with a smile. -_Let's take a look.-_

Onepu huffed and laid down on the floor. "You go looking, I'll wait for you right here. I tell you, if a lever is meant not to be found, it can't be found." Then he froze. "You can stop looking, I just found it."

"What?" Takanuva asked, turning around and gazing at the walls of the tunnel. "Where? There's nothing on the walls... is it under you?"

"Not exactly," Onepu said, pointing at the ceiling above him. "It's over me."

When eight pairs of eyes looked up, they saw a metal bar, hanging to the ceiling by two chains, one on each side, that looked as if it served no purpose at all. Hoti burst into laughter.

_-Now that's what I call genius!- _he said.

"How's that supposed to work?" Jaller asked.

_-I can only guess- _Hoti said. _-Hey, I didn't even know those guys could have a sense of humor.-_

"Now explain me what's so funny," Jaller said.

_-Nothing, except that we've been running around like idiots looking in every corner when it was hanging right over us-_ he explained.

"We don't know if it's really a lever yet," Jaller reminded him.

_-Right, then let's figure it out. Takua, jump and hang to it, and let's see what happens-_

"Okay," Takanuva muttered, laying his staff aside, then stopped a second. "If this doesn't work, I'm so gonna rip out the damn thing," he added.

_-Go ahead, I'll gladly see a part of this place into pieces- _Hoti said with a smile. Takanuva smiled back and jumped.

The bar gave slightly away under his weight, and a "click" resounded throughout the whole tunnel. The door before them opened with a sir.

"Okay," Jaller said. "Wasn't that a bit too easy?"

"No," chorused the other six Matoran, remembering the accurate search in every corner of the tunnel. Takanuva let go of the bar and dropped to the floor.

"Let's go," he said. He grabbed his staff and crossed the now open door. The seven Matoran, glad that they didn't have to turn back and afraid of what would happen if the door closed and left them cut off from Takanuva, followed him without complaining, but the joy was short. A groan rose from their throats as they saw that just a few bios before them was another closed door.

"And there's nothing on the ceiling this time," Kotu said, who, like all the others, had turned to look at the ceiling. She turned to face Hoti, expecting some sort of comment coming from him, but it looked as if the brown cat hadn't even noticed that the situation hadn't changed that much after all. He was staring at a point in the air, ears perked up and a concerned expression on his face.

"What?" Takanuva asked, spotting him.

_-I hear those voices again- _he said. -_They're louder this time. I think there's someone right behind that door.-_

"Who'd that be?" Hewkii asked, pressing his ear against the closed door. Indeed, there were voices coming from behind it, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

_-I'm not sure, but unless my hearing suddenly got worse, that someone just said: You! Oh I'm so gonna kill you!-_

"Leehar," Hahli said. "Who else?"

"Yeah, probably fighting against each other," Jaller agreed.

Hewkii shuddered and pushed himself away from the door. "You know what? I don't like them being behind that door. Let's turn back."

"I'm with you," Kotu said. Hahli, Hoti and Jeea nodded in agreement. Takanuva also did.

"I can't put up with five Leehar, especially not now," he said.

"I'd say I'm with you too," Matoro said. "If you can find the lever that'll get us out of here."

"Huh?"

Matoro simply pointed to the door they had just walked through. While they had been busy listening to the Leehar and discussing, it had silently closed behind them, trapping them between the Leehar and the rest of the maze.

* * *

I don't believe I actually got this up...

Soooo, in case you're wondering (but I don't think so) this chapter was actually finished two months ago. Except that I didn't like it.

And now what? NOW I'm writing three fanfics at a time, and I'm keeping up with it. WTF? Oh yeah right, I'm on holiday. What happens when I start school again? No idea. How come I put on a writing boost? No idea, but I DID see MoL again some time ago. Who knew it could give me my missing imagination back? O.o''' That movie is evil, I tell you. This is so not normal... I read my story three times with no result, saw that movie (which is missing some scenes) and my wirter's block goes poof???? O.o

Reviews... give me a second, and I'll PM you all. :D


	18. All Reunited Again

A/N: I. Don't. Believe This.

I. Don't Believe. That I didn't realize. That instead of the new chapter, I had placed, an old Heroes of the Past chapter, that I had exported, and then left. In my profile page.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

-kills herself-

Then I come here, to post the 19th chapter and notice that the chapter in my document manager is called: 18HotPresent.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

Then I look at what I had actually posted last time: it IS the old Heroes of the Past chapter.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

And I hadn't realized because, when I had posted it, the Alert had told me: Chapter "All Reunited Again" has been posted. And I hadn't really read the live preview, just checked wuickly that it really had been posted.

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!**_

I SHOULD have asked myself what Regrem Erutaerc was talking about in his review. (i did actually, but didn't think much of it!)

But YOU! You **COULD **have questioned me or pointed it out tome, instead of not reviewing! -burningmad-

Anyway, sorry, here'S the real chappy, the next one will come next week, also on a friday. -.-'''

* * *

Disclaimer: Bionicle is not mine. 

**All Reunited Again**

WHAMMM!

The fist came down so fast he couldn't have dodged it even if he had been free. His head shot back and slammed against the panel behind him, and a sharp pain shot though both his jaw and skull. Kopaka cursed the bonds for putting him in that situation and not doing anything to lighten his pain. He didn't even have the time to finish his thought completely, and Utahop was hitting again, aiming at his stomach this time.

To Kopaka's surprise, his hand passed smoothly though the bonds and hit him straight in his midsection, knocking the wind out of him. A curtain would've been of more protection. He coughed and gasped for air, and again Utahop hit, this time his face again. Kopaka's head banged against the wall one more time, and one more time he cursed the bonds for not helping. His head already felt like a ten-ton boulder had rolled over it, and Utahop wasn't done yet. Again he hit Kopaka, then again and again, making him pay for Ilag's fate. Covering his face with his arms was out of questions, the bonds wouldn't even let him budge.

"Stop, stop!" shrieked a histeric voice. "Get away from him!"

"Do something! Throw up that shield of yours!"

"I tried, what do you think? He's too far away!"

"Try again!"

"Akapok I... What the...?"

Once again the fist came up, but a strong, black arm suddenly came into view and drove it away.

"What did you think you were doing?" shouted a voice Kopaka knew, but wasn't at all what he expected. Auno had just saved him from being beaten to death? A black veil hung over his eyes, and he could barely raise his face, but forced himself to come back to reality. He tasted blood and spat it out. It landed in front of his feet, a dark red blotch on the sparkling silver floor.

"He hurt Ilag the bastard!" Utahop growled.

"Ilag is a Toa, she knows the risks of her job, she gets hurt from time to time!" Auno growled back.

"Wise words Auno," Akapok said. "Utahop, keep control next time, shall you?"

_He let him do it, _Kopaka realized. _He didn't really want Utahop to punch me like that but let him do it._ He suddenly felt that he hated Akapok. He hated him for being that cold, calculating guy he was, for his mind trickeries, for his stupid talks, for not caring about what happened to the others around him, for not giving a damn about what the other Leehar did and for how he let everyone do the bloody work for him while he stayed in the background, never moving a finger. He wished he was free to just to be able to drive his sword through his body and kill him.

"Perhaps it's time to get on to the reason for which we are here?" Onewa suggested.

"Perhaps," Akapok answered vaguely. He let his gaze drift over the Toa, as if studying the situtation and the conditions of each. "Yes, that should be a good idea."

He stepped up to the Toa, walking around the room just before them. "It's time you know why you are here," he said. "After all, what sense would it have made drag you with me if it wasn't for some purpose?" He paused and turned towards Lewa, gazing at his bounded figure like someone would've looked at a statue of some ancient culture. "You see, what we want are the Ilsao, and they're right here, in my reach. I just have to stretch my hand out and slip them over this Toa's head and they'll be mine."

Lewa's eyes narrowed. "Forget it!" he hissed. "I'm not awaygiving you the Ilsao."

"Right," Akapok said. "That's exactly the problem." He turned back to the Turaga. "You see, if it was so easy – and once it would have been so – I wouldn't have asked you to get them for us, but I think you already realized this?"

The Turaga nodded. "Then why are we here?" Nokama asked.

"You see, the Ilsao are connected... no, _bonded _to the the one who carries them," Akapok said. He turned back to the Toa of Air. "If I tried to grab this stone against its carrier's will--" he reached out, and Lewa threw his head back violently the jerk the Ilsao away from his reach. The Ilsao started to glow of an eerie green light that became brighter as Akapok's hand approached it. "There," Akapok said. "See the glow?"

The Turaga all nodded, all suspecting what that meant, and wondering what would come next. Akapok dropped his arm and went on. "You see, Lewa is using his willpower... or elemental power, or maybe a bit of the two, we aren't sure of it – to force the Ilsao to oppose to us. Normally, the Ilsao itself would't care much, but if its owner forces it to fight, then I'd just have to touch it to make it explode. Or do something else very unpleasant."

"And what do we have to do with all this?" Matau wanted to know. A sudden dread filled his mind. "You don't want us to grab-take them for you, I hope?"

"That's exatly what I want you to do," Akapok said.

"Now I'm starting to understand," Vakama said, his voice suddenly harsh. "You want us to take in whatever the Ilsao are going to do with you at your place, is that right?"

"Actually, that's a question you have to ask your fellow Toa," Akapok said with a smile. "You see, it's them that have the control of the Ilsao, not us."

Tahu's eyes went wide as he realized what Akapok meant, and he suddenly felt very, very cold. Fear and dread shot equally through the other Toa's eyes. Akapok saw it, and a triumphant glint appeared in his eyes.

"I might be mistaken," he said, gazing back at the seven elders. "But I doubt that the Toa will want to harm their own Turaga."

"Bastard!" Tahu hissed. Akapok turned to him.

"I'm only making deductions, Toa," he said, gazing straight into Tahu's eyes. "As I said, I might be mistaken, but I don't think so. You've proven more than once that your weakness lies in your feelings. Am I right, Toa of Fire?"

Tahu was about to fire a sharp comment at the Ice Leehar, but the words stuck in his mouth. Hadn't it been because of their feelings that they had come looking for the Matoran? Hadn't it been their feelings that they had followed when disobeying the Turaga's orders? As he stared into Akapok's gaze, he knew that the white Leehar was right. He looked away, clenching his teeth angrily. The Leehar of Ice turned away and started walking to the other side of the room.

"Oh, there's another problem, isn't there?" he said almost casually. "The Toa seem to be a slight bit too tall for you." He stopped, and even as he did so, the bonds that held the Toa Nuva stared lifting the six heroes and placing them in a horizontal position, a few spans from the ground. No matter how much they struggled against it, all the Toa were soon forced in that position, at an easy reach for the Turaga.

"There you go," Akapok said. The Turaga seemed to hesitate, then, they each advanced towards their Toa.

"Nokama..." Gali started, as the blue Turaga approached her. "Nokama, please don't do this. Can't you see you're doing exactly his game?"

Nokama looked at Gali, a sorry expression on her face. "Just yesterday, I would have had the same thoughts," she said. "I remember way too well how they tricked us when we reached the island for the first time."

"Then why are you doing this?" Gali asked quietly. "Why are you right here, about to take the Shilara into your hands? Nokama, the past is repeating itself. I don't know how, but the Leehar are tricking you again! Only this time, I fear in a much more subtle way."

Nokama shook her head. "Exactly because I've been tricked before, I know that this is no trickery." Saying this, she slid the Ilsao away from Gali's head, who let go of it without any struggle. The Toa of Water felt the blue stone leave her, and hung her head in defeat. Nokama nearly reconsidered giving it back to her, but then changed her mind. What she was doing, was right, she could feel it, in a way she couldn't explain. She was about to go away, when Gali held her back.

"Nokama, what did the Leehar offer you to make you change you mind?" she asked, still not looking up at the blue Turaga. Nokama hesitated. Should she tell her? No, Gali surely wouldn't understand, but she didn't feel like lying either.

"Something I lost a long time ago," she answered, thens he turned around and walked back to the other Turaga, who were already waiting for her. Some of the Toa surely had threatened them to not give them the Turaga anyway, but none of them had kept that promise, and the Turaga had all returned unscathed. Only Nuju was still standing at Kopaka's side, though he was already holding the Heerole in his hand.

Finally, the ice Turaga too, turned around and walked up to his companions.

"What held you?" Whenua wanted to know.

"I thought Toa Kopaka was hiding something behind his body," the Turaga said. "But he swore he didn't have any problem in proving me that his powers don't only work through his swords if I went to investigate, and I thought it was better not to insist. After all, whatever it is, it can wait until we have the power to stand up to it."

XXXXX

"What do you hear?" Takanuva asked.

_-Akapok's blah blahs- _Hoti answered. _-Some other voices... oh, and kups whines.-_

"Kups whines?" Hewkii asked. "What in Mata Nui's name is a kups?"

_-A kups, is a little Ihar, when we're still young- _Hoti answered darkly.

"There are Ihar youngsters in that room?" Kotu asked, eyes going wide.

_-Oh, yes. We knew the Leehar were bringing them away, but we thought it was to kill them- _Hoti said. Then he perked his ears again. _-Then again, I hear only six different whines coming from in there. I can expect that the others... - _he couldn't keep the factly tone anymore and his "voice" faded away. Instead, a low growl filled his throat.

"The Leehar are...?" Kotu asked. "I mean, they bring away and kill your..."

_-Yes-_

Kotu's eyes widened even more in horror, and she was suddenly very proud of her spit at Utahop's head.

"Can you contact them?" Takanuva asked.

_-I could, if you want us to get discovered. Private telepathy is something you master with the age-_ Hoti said. _-It took Kishro six years to learn it, though he never had any problems with the long-distance one.-_

"So you're not going to ask them what is going on in there?" Jaller asked.

_-No- _Hoti said. _-Besides, I got a pretty good idea myself: someone argued with someone else and started beating him up, a third person got in between, and then Akapok started explaining the Turaga why he needs them to get the Toa's Ilsao.-_

"WHAT?" Jaller burst out.

_-Psssscht!- _hissed Hoti. _-Auno has good ears too, you know.-_

"The Turaga are inside there? And the Toa Nuva?" Hahli asked, eyes wide.

_-Yep, so it seems!-_

"But I overheard the Toa agreeing with the Turaga that they wouldn't come and look for us!" Hahli said. "And I even asked Takanuva here about it! And he said..."

"That there wasn't much we could do against the Turaga's word," Takanuva finished for her. "Not if they knew anything about it."

Hahli looked at him in disbelief. "But then... you..."

Hoti looked at her in an amused way. _-It seems as if you don't know your Toa well enough, little one. They're better at hiding their skeletons in their closets than a Muaka its prey. Especially when it comes to keeping something away from the Turaga.-_

"But I wouldn't have said a thing!" Hahli said, still looking at Takanuva. "You know it!"

"I couldn't tell, Hahli, I'm sorry," he said. "Tahu made us all promise we wouldn't tell anyone a word."

Jaller burst into laughter, but for some reason, it sounded strangely bitter. "Tahu actually made you keep a secret? You must've really changed, Takanuva. That, or Tahu must've gotten really scary lately."

_-Or a hidden instinct from a dark past came haunting him- _Hoti said, looking at Takanuva out of the corner of his eye. The Matoran, except Jeea, looked at him awkwardly.

"What did **that **mean?" Matoro asked.

_-That I talk too much- _Hoti answered with a twinkle in his eye, noticing the gazes everyone was shooting him. Before anyone could ask, he had perked his ears up again. _-Pssschhht! I hear something strange again!-_

None of the Matoran felt sure that it wasn't just an excuse to not answer their questions, but nobody dared ask him in fear of missing something from the other side. The only thing they were certain about was that the more time they spent with this strange Ihar, the more uncomfortable they became around him. The only one that seemed perfectly calm was Jeea.

XXXXX

Sirkul's eyes opened slightly as his mind came back to him. The first thing he realized was that his head hurt, the next one that, despite everything, he was still lying on the floor like a dump of trash. He looked around, trying to get an idea of the situation while not bein spotted. He remembered the glowing symbols on the walls coming to life and trapping the Toa, then someone using telekinesis to smash his head against the ceiling. Then... darkness. It was clear to him that he had been knocked out, but what had happened while he was unconscious? His searching eyes met those of a kups, who recoiled in surprise spotting that he was awake. The bonds immediately tightened their grip around him, pinning him back to the ground.

_-Don't say a word that I'm awake!-_ Sirkul warned him in a hiss. The kups nodded frightendly, not emitting a sound. Sirkul's eyes went on scanning the room, and spotted Pohatu, whose bonds seemed to be holding him at a hand span from the floor.

_What the...? _the Ihar thought. In that moment, Pohatu lifted his head up and met his eyes. Sirkul winked at him, showing that ideed he was awake, and Pohatu smiled back. The brown Toa shot a glance to his left, to see whether Akapok was looking in that direction, then turned to the Ihar, mouthing something, but he didn't get the chance to finish because Akapok had suddenly started talking again.

"Enough! It's time you get your prize, Turaga," he said, waving a hand casually as he did so. The symbols retreated back to their original position, strapping the Toa against the walls again.

The white Toa stepped over Sirkul, who immediately closed his eyes again, and onto the Miko-Nuian map. Here, he turned to the Turaga. "I suppose you know how this works?" he asked, his voice suddenly low and dangerous.

"Well... yes! Of course! I mean, how hard can it be?"

Akapok's eye narrowed. "Fine. Then do it!"

The Turaga looked at the stones uncertainly, and for a moment, the Toa thought that it wasn't all lost after all, for they all knew how hard it was to get an Ilsao to do what you wanted. Or perhaps the Turaga remembered that the Ilsao chose the ones that could control them. But the Turaga's uncertainity was due to something else.

"What about Lhikan?" Vakama asked.

"Don't worry about me," Lhikan answered. "Look, there isn't anymore place to bind Takanuva to those walls. We'll need all your powers to get the Anjai." He paused. "Besides, I'm not even sure it would work. An Ilsao of Light, for a Toa of Fire?" But we'll have time to worry about that later."

"Alright then..." Vakama said. Then, he concentrated on the Kosnero again, pooling for the precious energy it held inside.

It came slowly at first: tiny bolts of lightning, speeding up the string and jumping right into their bodies. And with each bolt, Vakama felt a cribble grow inside himself, growing larger and larger until it filled him up completely. Then, it came with a whamm!

The power hit him and filed him up all at once, spreading to every muscle, every finger, every part of his body. And slowly, he began to grow. An uncontrollable joy took hold of Vakama as he felt the familiar strength of a Toa grow inside him. He wished he could speed things up, and it would've been so easy to do it, for he felt the power flowing from the Ilsao urging and pressing to leap into his body, but if he knew that if he did, he would most likely lose control over the Ilsao, so he kept the flow under control and left the pace nice and slow.

As soon as he saw Vakama slowly change before his eyes, Akpok nodded to Auno. It was time to fetch the Matoran. Auno nodded back and walked up to one of the doors, ignoring the gasps of the Toa Nuva, who had finally understood what was going on. He counted two panel to the left, and pushed a plate. A familiar sir accompanied the opening door, which rolled aside to reveal the nine figures standing behind it.

"What the...?" Auno backed away.

"Uh... oh... surprise?" Takanuva said.

* * *

This was the most embarassing thing ever since ICC... -.-'''' 

REVIEWS! (I'm so not sending PMs again! -mimicks FF. Net- "You have to wait at least two minutes to send another PM!" That's the best way to forget who you sent them to and who not! Agrrrr..)

**Regrem Erutaerc: **who hears the screams from who? weirdly enough, Sirkul didn't hear Hoti's chatter when he woke up, now that I notice. Then again, hoti was talking through telepathy only to the matoran, so... BTW WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK ME ABOUT THE CHATPER????

**Arya Toa Metru of Elements: **Good one? It felt all weird when I was writing it... but glad you like it anyway:D sry I'm not sending you a PM this time -points at thing five lines above- And come to it, it DID all disappear when Kopaka Nuva turned up... lol, just kidding. Incredibly, my sister helped with her stupid questions this time.

**Slythergrl2004: **Yeah, I had that feeling too when writing it. Like what did I do here? Whazzat? -goes back, types again- but in the end, i decided to leave it and not to care, because every time i corrected something it sounded even stranger than before and i spent five minutes wondering which way is the best. Car design? Design ME a car a good one :D/purrrty-please/

**Bioniclefangirl: **more like: the Toa Nuva :D I'm certainly not missing THAT movie. Every time I see it it leads to two-days discussion about cut-scenes, selling it on e-bay and buying a new one! The one I really do miss is the one we rented a coupe of years ago... but that's all another story. Ok, I guess I did miss it. :p And Kopaka got it!

**Magdalan-Saiyan-Toa: **O.o... wow? You actually wrote a review I don't know how to answer to :D Hey, why didn't i get the notice that Confusing Tales was updated? (gah, got it three seconds after I had written this)

Okay I just spent five mintues trying to get both a ? and a :/ in Regrem Erutaerc's answer, but for some reason FF . net won't let me put them together. even weirder, despite their "no script, no chat, no faces, no emotes only pure literature" policy they gave the :/ precedence and took off the ? instead.


	19. And Everything Goes Downhill

Disclaimer: Bionicle doesn't belong to me

**And Everything Goes Downhill**

It was then that all went wrong. Everyone started shouting at the same time, and the Turaga, in the shock of seeing the Matoran all there in perfect health, forgot the Ilsao for a moment, and the six stones seized the occasion to release more angry than they had till now. The Turaga tried to regain control, but couldn't concentrate enough in the confusion to slow the flow. Utahop started shouting that the Matoran had disappeared, the Matoran gasped and shouted as they saw the Turaga in mid-transformation, Akapok began to yell at his companions to catch the Matoran, and the Toa started yelling at everyone in the room to turn back, keep their hands in place, or to be careful. Then, more than just a few voices shouted in unison.

"Hoti?!"

_-Frell-_ was all the brown Ihar, who had been trying to disappear in a corner behind the Matoran, had to say about that.

"You're supposed to be dead!" spat Akapok.

_-What do you know? I came back from the dead to haunt you for eternity!- _he said.

"Idiot! Spirits can't be seen."

_-Oh. Then I'm alive.-_

"Get him!" Akapok ordered to Auno. The black Toa stepped forward, but Hoti didn't wait any further and whizzed in, as fast as his legs – and power – permitted, and any chance for things to go the right way dissolved. Awel, Auno and Utahop immediately started chasing the Ihar, weasling under the Leehar's legs between the shouts and cheers of the Nuva. Utahop made a grab for him, but missed and slammed into Auno, who had had the same idea. Then Hoti threw himself between the Turaga, toppling Vakama over, whose staff flew out of his hand and flew in aneat arc in the air before falling to the ground and shattering. The Turaga finally lost all control over the stones, which started sending power into them at an amazing pace, and the transformation started going so fast it was impossible to control anymore. The first screams of pain started to be heard, though nearly nobody took notice, intent as they were in watching Hoti trying to esacpe the Leehar, who on their side just kept getting in each other's way. It was Tahu the first to notice the Turaga's critical situation.

"Turaga! Throw away the Ilsao! Throw them away!"

Out of all the Turaga, those words broke through only Vakama's mind. The red Toa Metru of Fire heard him and threw the stone far away, where it lay, looking perfectly innocent. But the transformation wasn't yet over, though it was obvious thaat it would end soon, just as Hoti's hunt. In that moment, Utahop finally got a hold on him, and only then did the Leehar turn around to see what was becoming of the Toa-Turaga.

Their faces and limbs were becoming longer, while their bodies became thinner and more skeleton-like. Vakama needed just a look to realize whith dread what was happening, and screamed out in horror. He wanted to rip away the stones from his fellow Turaga, but he knew he couldn't do it at mid-transformation.

As the Toa-Turaga's legs chaned form and became more muscular, a pungent smell – at least for him – hit Sirkul, who opened his eyes wide and tensed his muscles, while a low growl filled his throat. Hoti noticed this, and also the smell.

_-Bloody Karzahni- _he whispered for everyone to hear.

"Silence!" shouted Utahop, placing one of his claws tighter around the Ihar's throat.

_-No, not silence. This is not good, I tell you. Not for us and not for you!-_

"I said silence!" Utahop barked again. "Or I'm sending you to dreamland like your friend there."

_-He is not in dreamland- _Hoti said, but so that only the Toa could hear. _-And this will not be funy, I tell you. Not one bit.-_

"Why?" Pohatu asked. "What's happening?"

_-Did I ever mention tha Ihar's natural and greatest foes are not the Leehar? Or the Muaka or any other Rahi we normally get in trouble with?-_

"Then what?"

"What are you all talk-chatting about?" Awel asked suspiciously. But he had barely finished talking, and the transformation came to an end. Before them stood now five creatures they had never seen before. Half Rahi, half Toa, and not a pretty sight at all, they seemed some sort of monter that had decided to jump out of a Matoran's nightmare and into the real world. Hahli clapped both hands on her mouth to stop herself from screaming, but not all of the Matoran were as discreet.

"What are those things?" Kotu blurted out. The Turaga looked at each other in horror.

"No," whispered Nokama.

"Please, tell me that his isn't happening!" Matau said. "Tell me I didn't change to monster-ugly again!"

Nobody bothered to answer, but Akapok slowly stepped up to the Turaga and looked down at them coldly.

"Hordika," he said tonelessly after a long silence.

"Stupid stones," cursed Utahop, tightening his grip on Hoti.

_-Akapok just said it-_ Hoti said.

"What?" Lewa asked, still staring at what the Turaga had become.

_-Who are the Ihar's greatest foes-_

Six faces turned to stare at the Po-Ihar.

"You're not serious, right?" Pohatu asked.

_-Deadly serious. We Ihar **hate** Hordika.-_

As if to confirm those words, Sirkul's growl suddenly became audible to everyone in the room, and the Hordika part of the Toa Metru responded to it. The five beasts were suddenly all staring at the white Iharl, their muscles tense, their eyes watching.

_-And they hate us.-_

"Frell" said Tahu.

_-You said it.-_

* * *

AGH! I have a chapter called "trapped" and one called "prisoners"! The horror! Okay, cookie to who tells me where the difference is:)

ok, to get myself forgiven for the mistakes inthe last chapter, I decided to upload this today instead of waiting friday. it's already been done for two weeks or so, so... (I'm uploading in week's distances so I never run out of new chapters, right know, I'm writing ch. 21. this way, I hope to avoid monstrous delays like last time)

And... I take the occasion to point out WHY the Turaga have to act stupid for the second story in a row: it's to explain why they did it in HotP in first place. More explanation under request.

Revs:**  
**

** Slythergrl2004:** I did? when? I like lambos, by the way. :D

**Regrem Erutaerc:** Yeah, sorry again. ''' can't blame you for not remembering... it's been a long time...

**Goldenrod**: O.o hey, take a chill pill! don't forget that they're under a curse. (quietly: hehe... I like having the Turaga look like complete idiots...) No, I wouldn't either, by the way, and you'll see that (unless I change my mind halfway through) in ch. 21... hopefully.


	20. The Hate of the Species

Disclimer: Bionicle isn't mine

**The Hate of the Species**

The sun slowly started setting on Miko Nui, but the Toa -- Leehar, Nuva and Hordika -- weren't there to see it. They had lost all sense of time inside the tunnels, and besides, they had other things to worry about. One of these concerned the Ilsao, or better, what they had done.

"What is this, Akapok?" Onewa asked.

"You had promised us we'd be Toa-heroes again," Matau said. "Instead, we were turned into Hordika-monsters!"

"Firstly, I never promised you anything," Akapok said. "I only said I thought it was possible. Secondly, your friend there **is **a Toa, and you would be too, if you hadn't lost control."

"Oh yeah, right!" Matau protested. "Fire-spitter gets to be the brave Toa-hero again! While we have to play tha part of the poor morons who couldn't get control of a stupid stone!"

From behind Kopaka's legs, Norik shifted uneasily. Now the voices sounded way too familiar to not belong to someone he knew. Just who was it? The long stay in that room must have weakened his mind as well as his brain. And that word, Hordika... he remembered what it meant, of yourse, but he didn't like how it seemed to fit with the voices he heard...

"I must admit I wasn't planning this," Akapok said. "Though it is rather interesting..." His eyes narrowed, a plan forming in his mind. He sent a mental note to the bonds, which wrapped themselves around the Toa's mouthes. Then he winked to Awel, who went to take care of the Matoran and Takanuva. "And you know, come to it, it isn't that bad after all." he finished.

"What?" Vakama asked.

"You call this 'not bad'?" Whenua asked. "It's the horror! I'm trapped in this body again, and I once again have to face there stupid instincts inside me!" He looked down at Sirkul. "Like right now, I'd like to slash this Ihar's throat open and end his miserable life."

"Then why not do it?" Akapok asked.

"**What?!**"

"There is one reason you never got to like being Hordika," Akapok said. "And that is: you never let go of yourself and accepted your Rahi part."

Vakama looked at him with fearful eyes.

"Hordika is incredibly powerful, if unleashed," Akapok continued. "But to do so, you have to give in to the Rahi part inside you."

"No..." whispered Vakama. "No!"

Whenua looked up at Akapok skeptically. "The Rahaga..."

"Don't know a thing," Akapok said with an annoyed gesture. Then he places a hand on Whenua's back. "Don't you feel it inside you? Struggling to get out? Listen to it! Feel how powerful it is! How can it be bad, something that strong? Especially when it's a part of you."

"Don't, Whenua, don't listen to him!" Vakama shouted. "If you do, you'll..."

"Lose yourself?" Akapok interrupted him with a sneer. "Forget your principles, go over to the dark side and strive for nothing but power? Just like **you** did?" he asked. Gasps were heard throughout the room at the revelation, and Vakama could nothing but stare at the floor. Akapok bent over to the red Toa, placing his mouth next to his ear and whispering, so that only he could hear. "Too late."

In that moment, the curse that had been hanging over Vakama's mind was broken, and all ideas, all securities that had been placed there since last night disappeared, and the red Toa finally realised the gravity of what he had done. He fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the realization. Akapok straightened himself again, satisfied, and leaving the red Toa to stare into space as he went on talking.

"That, is only what happens to fools and weaklings," he turned to the Hordika and looked at them hard. "And you aren't weaklings, are you?"

Mumbles of protest and dissense came from the Turaga, and Whenua shouted loudly. "Of course not!"

Vakama couldn't believe what was happening, he refused to listen to one word of what his friend was saying. How could he fall so foolishely for Akapok's bait? Yet he knew that until that moment, he had done his part too, by taking the Ilsao away from the Toa Nuva and using them to become himself a Toa.

He raised his head and looked at Tahu, wo looked back at him, a sad and somewhat resigned expression on his face. No, he didn't give him the fault of what had happened, though he felt sorry for him. But it **was **his fault, and he was no better than the worms, that crawled between the ruins of Metru Nui...

"Then prove it!" Akapok said in that moment. "Release the power inside you! And let yourself go with it." He placed himself behind Whenua again. "Look at the Toa of Fire, kneeling before you," he said. "And concentrate. What do you feel?"

"He's my friend," Whenua said. "But... I feel he's a danger, a threat... and I..." he stopped, confused, not understanding how this could be.

Sirkul's growl grew louder.

"Exactly," Akapok said, now at inches from Whenua's face. "You hate him. Feel it. Let it seep into you and fill you, release the wild beast inside yourself."

_-No, don't do it!- _Hoti interrupted. _-Not for the 'going over to the dark side' crap, but for yourself! Do it, and you'll regret it for...-_

"Shut up!" Utahop roared. Whenua looked at the brown cat, confused. But Akapok just went on.

"Don't listen to him," he said. "Ihar are even better liars than we are. And you know how well we lie."

_-Listen to me, instead!- _Hoti yelled again. Akapok clenched his teeth in anger as something interrupted him again. _-Trust me, do it and you're dead! I'm not joking. Give in to the Hordika side, and...-_

"Make hin shut up!" Akapok screamed. Utahop smiled and raised his staff, ready to bring it down on Hoti's head.

"It'll be a pleasure," he said.

_-Hey, what are you doing? Stop!- _Hoti's shout travelled through his power and into Utahop's mind, whose fist stopped at midair, and a fight started between the Ihar's and Utahop's thoughts. Utahop tried to free himself from Hoti's Mind Control and Hoti kept him in his power to stop lowering his fist and knocking him out. Though the Ihar couldn't talk anymore, he was still awake. Akapok didn't care much as long as the cat stayed quite, and turned back to Whenua.

"Do you feel the power?" he asked.

"Yes... I think so..."

"That's not enough. You have to be sure. You have to fel it pound through every inch of your body. There, jump in it, embrace your wild side and let it take over your mind! Do you feel it now?"

"Yes," Whena said, his voice now a deep grunt. A strange light had flickered alive in his eyes. Akapok smiled, and turned him towards Vakama.

"Good, then concentrate on your objective, on the hatred you feel towards it... and then... ATTACK!"

A roar, a lead, and Whenua was pouncing at Vakama. But before he could reach him, Sirkul was on his feet and between them, eyes wild and growling savagely, no trace of his keen intelligence left. He was completely transfigured, just a wild Rahi now, angry and dangerous.

Hoti's eyes went wide and his head twisted around to face the battle. -_Oh, my friggin' great-grandmother Manny!-_ he shouted. Though he had lost his mind grip on Utahop, the brown Leehar didn't make any attemp to hit him, as his attention was caught by Hoti's curse, as had the one of half the presents in the room.

"That was... interesting," he admitted. Hoti looked up at him.

_-Let go of me,-_ he said. It wasn't a plead, it was a request, an order.

"What?" Utahop wasn't sure whether he had heard well.

_-I said let go of me!-_

"So you can run away? You can forget that!" Utahop snapped.

_-Where should I run to? The doors are all closed!- _Hoti retorted.

"I said no!"

_-Please- _Hoti insisted, his voice rising with each word he spoke. _-I need to get Sirkul back into himself or this will end REAL BAD!- _

A growl, a roar and a bark, just as Utahop was about to reply, and everyone turned to see the two beasts jumping at each other's throat. Sirkul dug his teeth deep in Whenuua's shoulder, who lashed at him angrily, creating three parallel marks on his side. They both fell apart with a yowl of pain, then they were on each other again, moving so fast they could be seen only as blurry blotches. White on black, black on white, growling and hissing and spitting at each other, each one aiming at the other's throat, but never finding it. They lashed at each other madly, the world around them an unexisting blur. The only thing that mattered was the battle. Right there, right now. Kill the foe, kill him! Someone was shouting... who cared? Another assault, another miss... no. Hit! Blood rushed into Sirkul's mouth, and he tasted it with pleasure, enjoying Whenua's pain. Then the Hordika lashed back, and blood gushed out of Sirkul's wounds too. But he didn't let go, and Whenua hit again, then again and again, each time harder than before, until the Ihar's body was covered with fresh wounds.

"Whenua! Whenua, stop! Now! Stop fighting! Can't you see that this is madness?"

No, he couldn't see. He kept lashing at Sirkul, until the Ihar finally came off. But the next scond the Ihar was on him again, biting another spot, and then he lashd back again. But Sirkul wasn't there anymore, but on his back. Again he lashed, and missed, then again, again and again. Sometimes he hit Sirkul, sometimes Sirkul hit him, but the battle went on, violent and inexorable.

From behind Kopaka's legs, Norik was trying to get out. When he had heard Whenua's name the first time, everything had come back to him, including why those voices had seemed so familiar, and he had been able to give an owner to each voice. Dread had filled him. Hoping that he might have heard wrong, he had questioned Toa Kopaka, who, however, had only answered him with indefinite mumbles, as if something was covering his mouth. Then the battle had started, and when Vakama had begun calling his friend Whenua, he knew that he hadn't been mistaken, and that Whenua was in great danger. He had started trying to get out from his hiding place, but the Toa wouldn't let him.

"Let me out!" he hissed.

"MMMmmmmpffff..." Kopaka mumbled through the bonds that gagged him. He wouldn't let the blind Rahaga out, not with the Leehar and that battle around!

Just then, Sirkul was violently thrown away from Whenua, saling through the air and skidding several feet on the smooth floor before coming to a halt against the wall. He was on his feet again in a second, but at that moment, Whenua was standing before him, disk launcher ready and aiming at him. Sirkul was quick to react, and the spot on his forehead glowed brightly as he set his power around the black Hordika, ready to use it at the first sign of attack. For a long moment, the two opponents just face each other hatefully, the message clearly readable in their eyes: "Move and you're dead." The tension grew, but they still waited. If Whenua fired, Sirkul would use telekinesis to blast the disk away or even kill him. If Sirkul moved, Whenua would fire and Sirkul wouldn't be able to react and stop the disk. The seconds passed slowy, and still nobody moved.

In that moment, Norik broke free, and ran towards the battle scene, shouting "Stop! Come back to yourself! This isn't..."

"Norik?" cried Vakama.

"Those damned dwarfs are here too!"

Then it happened.

Whenua turned around, and Sirkul seized the chance and attacked.

It was a moment, a second. Sirkul unleashed his power, grabbed hold of Whenua's head and...

CRACKK!

The sickening sound of something ripping echoed through the whole room. Hahli screamed, and so would have many of the Toa if there hadn't been the symbols covering their mouthes. Awel let his staff fall, and Utahop was so shocked that Hoti could escape and jump to the floor, though he made no attemp to move towards the battle. Then a shocked silence fell over the room.

Sirkul had ripped Whenua's head off.

_-I said he would be dead if he did that- _Hoti said shakily.

"My frigging great-grandmother Manny!" whispered Utahop. More than just one head turned in his direction at the comment.

Sirkul let the head float through the air for another second or two, then he cut off the power flow abruptly and the head dropped to the ground, landing in a puddle of its own blood with a dull thud.

After he had done that, the Ihar threw his head back and let out a victorious howl, that let a chill run down the spines of most of the presents. Then, he turned around and trotted towards the black lump that was Whenua's body, sniffing at it with interest. Auno decided that that was the moment to catch that fury in, and stepped towards him. But his step resounded loudly in the silent room, and before he knew it, he was staring right at Sirkul's face, and with the wild glint in his eyes and the blood spattered all over his snout, he seemed and incarnation of madness. Auno stopped dead on his tracks, sure that in a moment he'd be seeing his own headless body at a bird's-eye view. But, Sirkul merely stared at him for two long moments before letting his gaze shift to the rest of the room. The messae was clear to everybody, but he spoke it out anyway, just for the case there was someone with a very thick skull in the room.

_-One step, and your head is kissing the ground at two bios of distance from your body- _Sirkul said. All those who could retreated a step or even two from the Ihar. All but Nokama and Norik. Sirkul looked at them hard, then, under everyone's shocked looks, he turned around and started tearing up Whenua's body, gobbling up the fleshy parts on the inside.

"You kreno!" Nokama shouted. The next thing he knew, he was being tossed in the air, hit by the power of some sort of water spinner. With a growl, Sirkul stood up to face Nokama, water dripping from his flanks.

_-What do you want?- _he asked, baring his teeth at the Hordika of Water. Nokama looked right back at him, narrowing her blue eyes in an anger-filled stare.

"You killed him, bastard!" she cried.

_-And you'll be the next, akita!-_

Nokama yelled in fury and threw herself on the Ko-Ihar, but she was too far away and Sirkul was faster. The mark on his forehead flashed vividly...

_-Sirkul, no!- _ Hoti shouted, leaping into action. Another flash, and time seemed to freeze. Nokama's lead was stopped abruptly, leaving her floating in mid-air, held up by Sirkul's power, who on his side was under Hoti's control, who was preventing him from making Nokama's head do a 360 degrees turn. Then, Nokama seemed to lose it completely and started screaming and writhing, as if she could free herelf from Sirkul's power. That, however, was a sign for the other Hordika, who threw themselves at the two Ihar. Hoti immediately spotted the danger and shouted. _-Someone hold them back! I can't control six people at onaaaaargh!-_

Sirkul had taken hold of him while he was busy talking and was now strangling him.

"_Hoti," _he growled, while around them, the Leehar used their powers to gather control over the Hordika. _"Why didn't you let me kill her? Eh? Are you perhaps a traitor of our species?"_

Hoti didn't answer, too busy as he was concentrating on a single spot in Sirkuls's mind he could pierce. Behind him, he could hear Pohatu's muffled calls, but forced himself to ignore them too and keep his mind on what he was doing, though it was hard with the lack of air and the pressure constantly growing on his throat. He pushed his power harder against the barrier that divided him from Sirkul's mind, and then, finally, he managed to break through and was inide.

The pressure immediately stopped to grow, and even the horrible pulling feeling that had just seized his head came to a halt. But he still wasn't getting any air, and already his view was clouding and his thoughts becoming more confused. He knew that if he didn't manage to get a sharp mind again, he would lose control and it'd be over, and he'd end up in a similar fashion as Whenua. He forced himself deeper insidde, until he was finally able to get control and force Sirkul to release the pressure.

For a long time, they fought, Hoti still feeling the threatening grip of telekinesis hanging around him, and Sirkul creating new barriers and obstacles for Hoti's path in his mind. Around them, everyone was watching, holding their breaths as they waited for the outcome of the battle. The Leehar had regained control of the Hordika and closed them up in an ice cage. Even Takanuva and Vakama had helped with the task. Everyone seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, and nobody ever stopped to think that they were working hand by hand with the enemy. Vakama had then taken Norik and dragged him away.

After a while, something happened. A soft bark came from Sirkul, and the glint in his eyes softened and died away, while his face muscles relayeed. Hoti responded with a meow, and the glower of both the Ihar's marks dimmed. With a sigh, Sirkul looked back at Whenua's body, and then he turned around and when to lie down in a dark corner, leaving a set of bloody footprints behind him.

"Is he... I mean, is it over?" Takanuva asked unsurely, keeping a tight grip on his staff just in case.

"Yes," Hoti said with a sigh. He sounded exhausted. "It's over."

"Good," Akapok said, one Hoti had spoken. "Then, I think we all agree on doing this quick and painless, to prevent further... incidents."

When nobody answered, he went on. "Right, then, do what I tell you and let's get over this."

He turned to the other three Leehar in the room. "Open the chamber." They nodded and went to open three of the six rooms that gave to the outside of the dodecagonal room. Then Akapok broke the ice that enclosed the Hordika into pieces, setting them free. The five creatures wanted to attack the two Ihar, but surprisingly, Akapok put himself in the way. "I want you to get into that chamber, without discussions."

"Not before..."

"I said get into that chamber, **now!**"

A choir of protests erupted from the Hordika, who didn't seem to want to move until they had had their revenge, a pleasure that Akapok had no intention to give them.

"You can't just let him pass..."

"He killed Whenua!"

"He has to pay..."

The shouts went on for a while, until Vakama stepped before them and ordered silence. There were still a couple of weak protests, but a firm "Shuhs!" from Vakama's side brought them to silence. When he had everyone's attention on him, he finally spoke.

"Do as he says," he said.

"What? But..."

"I said **do as he says!**" repeated Vakama, more firmly this time. An offended silence fell over the Hordika, yet still no one moved.

"What right you you have to order-command us anyway?" Matau objected. "You aren't even one of us!"

Vakama looked at him hard. "We already went over this."

"Yeah, but this time, it's different!" Onewa said. "You helped him trap us in! You have the enemy a hand! And now you want to tell us what to do?" A choir of murmurs followed these words.

"Yes... exactly..." Nuju said with a nod.

"He's right!" Nokama agreed.

Vakama had been on the point to shout somethinig not very nice right in Onewa's face, but Nokama's voice hit him like a hammerblow. Out of all the Toa, she had been the only one that had always laid her trust in him and supported his decisions, and now, she openly attacked him. He suddenly found that he didn't know what to say, and closed his mouth again, beaten.

The murmurs grew in volume and the protests started again, and it wouldn't have ended well if Akapok hadn't intervened again. He walked calmly to the top of the group, and unseathed his sword. The group fell silent again.

"Listen to me," he said quietly, his voice suddenly cold. "You have three choices. I can either use this, and freeze you in a single block of ice, and then crush you to death until you're no more than a thousand pieces crunching beneath my feet... or I can use this," And he turned his swords into the infamous Rahkshi staff. "And use my anger powers to turn you against each other and let you finish yourselves on your own. **Or** I can use both at the same time, and leave you to find out what happens." He said, narrowing his eyes to a thin slit. "Unless you do what I tell you, which I personally find the wisest decision, and nothing happens to you. Clear?"

Nobody said a thing.

"Good, and now be good Hordika and go!"

"But.. the Ihar..." Onewa tried to protest.

"I said: GO!" Akapok shouted. "I'll reach you in a minute. We can talk then."

Grumbling, the Hordika marched into the chamber, and Awel closed the door behind them. Then Akapok sent the Matoran into another room. They went without problems, despite a couple of protests from Jaller's side. Akapok closed them in. Then, the white Leehar turned to the remaining people in the room.

"You," he said, turning to the Toa Nuva. "I know perfectly well that if I let you free now, you'd be perfectly capable of turning against us and finally get us out of the way. Especially now that you're eight versus four. And I have no doubt that the two Ihar here would also prove a valuable help four your side." He paused. "What should I do with you?"

Tahu mumbled something through the gag that was still covering his mouth as an answer. Akapok turned towards him and releaased the bonds covering his mouth. Tahu gasped and repeated. "Free me, and I'll order my team to not hurt you."

A choir of muffled protests erupted from the Toa Nuva, and Akapok released the bonds covering their mouths also.

"But Tahu, they..." Pohatu protested. Tahu silenced him with a glance.

"There is more to what you said, Akapok," Tahu went on. "You need us alive. If you wanted us dead, your order would've been: kill them. Yet we're still alive. These bonds offer us no protection, I saw it. You'd just have to stab us, and we'd be dead. But you didn't do it." He looked at Akapok hard. "I want to know why."

Akapok chuckled bitterly, and a smile appeared on his face for the first time since the Toa had known him. A true smile, not the false, superior smile he normally wore. "I always knew you were smart, Toa. Uhat never thought very highly of you, but I can recognize a worthy opponent when I see one. You're right. We need you, and we need you alive." His smile faded off. "I'll free you, now, but I expect you to act reasonably, or you'll find yourself against that wall in less than a second"

Tahu nodded. "I accept that. Now let me loose."

Akapok nodded back, then released the bonds that had kept Tahu pinned to the wall. The red Toa slumped to the ground, but stood up right away and turned to his fellow Toa.

"Listen," he said. "Now I'll tell Akapok to let you loose, and then, I want you to do as he says."

"But..." protested Lewa.

"No 'but'!" Tahu interrupted him. "Nothing. We're not on the winning side, even at number majority. Not until these symbols are there to wrap us up and at the same time expose us to all danger from the outside. Our only option is to keep the status quo."

"Right, tell him whatever we're planning to do, since you're at it," snapped Pohatu. "Why don't you hand us over straight away?"

"He already knows, can't you tell?" Tahu asked. "Everyone knows everything, at the moment, except for some details, and I have the feeling we're going to discover them too, and a few instants."

An unconvinced silence followed those words, while Tahu struggled to find more anrguments with which he could convince the Toa. Although he'd rather have brought the Leehar down here and now, he couldn't ignore what he had just said. The truth was: until there was the problem of the symbols, they had to stall for time. True, those bonds were apparently under Akapok's control, so he could've tried to beat him unconscious. But would the bonds then be released, or left the way they were? If it was the second option, he, Takanuva and Vakama would've had to face Utahop, Awel and Auno on their own, and both he and Takanuva were too tired to engage a long-term fight, and Sirkul didn't look as if he was going to rip off any heads for some time. Luckily.

"He... he's right," Takanuva suddenly said. The other Toa turned towards him, and the golden Toa twisted his hands uneasily as he went on. "Look, there is no way we could get out of this room, as you well know. And even if, how could we get out of these tunnels? I don't think anyone remembers the way... Besides, we have the Turaga... Toa... Hordika... whatever they are, against us. The Matoran are also in another room and..."

Gali, who had been listening intently, nodded. "He's right." The other Toa mumbled their agreements.

"Right," Tahu said. "Now I want you to promise me, that when Akapok will let you free, you'll go into that chamber without protests. I don't want any scener or attacks or anything. Clear Gali? Staw away from Utahop!"

"I said I agreed with you!"

"Just checking. And Kopaka, if you do any 'necessary' things, I'll whack the living daylight out of you, I promise."

Kopaka mumbled something indefinite, and Tahu turned to Akapok again. "On the other side, if any of you get even near my team-mates, I'll take back anything I said, and we'll attack. You're right on this point: this time, we aren't one more, we aren't two more, we aren't even three more, since Ilag is KO. We're four more that you, and that's double as much. **And **we're Toa." He looked right at Akapok's eyes. "Is that clear?"

Akapok raised an eyebrow, and then turned to his companions, who were looking at him questiongly. "You heard him," he said. The other three nodded, though Utahop mumbled something he couldn't quite catch.

"Good," Tahu said. "And now free my friends."

Akapok nodded and released the bonds, and to Tahu'S relief, nobody tried to attack the Leehar.

"You, the Ihar and Norik can get into that chamber," Akapoks aid. "vakama can come with you. The kups and Lhikan stay here, si I'm sure you won't escape."

Tahu's heart did a sommersault. He had completely forgetten about Lhikan! After the transformation, the Turaga had retreated in a corner to watch, without saying a word. Tahu thought it was strange at first, but then he decided it must have something to do with the place.

As the others walked into the chamber, Tahu spotted Vakama still standing in the middle of the room, looking quite beaten. He steped up to his former Turaga, and place a friendly arm around his shoulders.

"Hey," he said. "everything ok?"

Vakama nodded quietly, still staring into space.

"Come on," Tahu said, guiding him awy from the room. "Let's go."

They entered the chamber, and Utahop closed the door behind them.

* * *

Ooops... forgot to upload this last week. '''' Tahu is acting OOC again... -glares at him- Sigh, I need a real good explanation for that.

Weird typo in the hand-written layout of this chapter: _With a sigh, Sirkul looked back at Whenua's body, and then he turned around to **die** down in a dark corner, leaving a set of bloody footprints behind him._

Is that an omen that I'll kill him in the end as a punishment of what he's done? If it is so, I'm the first one to not have any idea.

Oh, **important!** in the next chapter, the Toa will have to take a decision from which will depend not only their fate, but the storyline _and _the sequel, which is the reason I haven't finished it yet. I still have to choose. It could take a while because from it depends the whole storyline and the way I'll write the sequel...

Anyway: reviewers...

** Regrem Erutaerc**: That too.

**Slythergrl2004: **weeeeeeeeeh!

**Arya Toa Metru of Elements: **i sorta forgot about him in the last two chapters. -.-'''

**Bioniclefangirl: **The answers to your questions are all in this chapter. I'm evil.

**Goldenrod: **don't worry, I get passionate too when I read something I like. Though I thought I had mentioned in one of the previous chapters that they were being cursed... at one point, one of the Matoran sees the creature and thinks: "cursed", or something like that. that was a clue to it. Norik? apparently he stayed behind Kopaka's legs the whole time, forgotten.

**Magdalan-Saiyan-Toa:** animal fight? not exactly... not really...


	21. The Leehar's Plan

Disclaimer: Bionicle doesn't belong to me. Warning: there's a lot of blahblah in this chapter.

**The Leehar's Plan**

"Why did you give in like that?" Pohatu asked once they were alone in the room. Tahu glared at him.

"You heard what I said," he snapped. "We were not on the winning side."

"I know, but still..." Pohatu said, shaking his head. "I would've expected you to be the first to want to seize the chance."

"I wanted to," Tahu admitted. "I really wanted to. Take out Akapok, and then end the Leehar menace once and for all. It would've been so nice... except for one tiny thing. What if the bonds _didn't _open once Akapok was out? And as Takanuva said: then what? The Hordika are still against us, what are we supposed to do with them? Kill them all?"

Silence followed those words. The image of Whenua's haid floating in midair was still too fresh in all their minds. Nobody said a word, everyone trying to look everywhere except in Sirkul's direction. The Ihar noticed.

_-Stop acting like that!- _he snarled. _-I know what I did, and you all saw it. And don't come and tell me you didn't know anything about it! You all knew, you already saw us like that.-_

"Yes, we know," Gali said quietly, trying to not look at Vakama, who was staring at them with a questioning look.

"We do?" Takanuva asked.

"No, not you," Pohatu said. "You weren't there."

"Yes I... oh!" he exclaimed, realizing that they were talking about when they had still been Matoran and not about the accident twenty-five years before. "Oh, okay."

"You _knew?_" Vakama asked.

"Well... not directly we didn't," Lewa said. "I mean, we only listenedheard about it... oh alright. We did."

"And you trusted them?" Vakama went on.

"We hearttrusted you too," Lewa said with a shrug. Onua jumped and hit him on the back of the head, but it was already too late. Vakama recoiled, hurt, without looking at any of them in the eyes. None of them made any attempt to reassure him either, not even Gali, who kept looking anywhere except at him. Norik felt the sudden tension in the air and took a step forwards.

"I don't know what has happened, but I have the feeling that a lot has changed since I was on Metru Nui," he said. "Explain me everything from the beginning."

A somewhat confused explanation followed, while the Toa tried to resume what had happened until that moment, from their awakening on Mata Nui to their trip on Miko Nui to now, while at the same time trying to casually add pieces that would explain certain details, and since they all kept passing the story to one another, there were often annoyed outbursts when someone added an explanation that didn't suit the others. Somehow, in the end, they managed to make Norik understand the most important parts.

"And now we're inside this room," Norik concluded. "Thanks to Tahu's wise choice... though I have the feeling it wasn't due to pure logic, was it?" he asked, looking at Tahu.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tahu said.

"Oh yes you do. You didn't accomplish Akapok's will because you knew it was better that way, those were things you made up as excuses later. The truth is, you wanted to know **why **he left you alive."

Tahu stared at him open-mouthed. He seemed to want to say something, but decided to shut up for once. "And what do you have to say about all of this, Vakama?" Norik asked. Vakama shrugged.

"I don't know. Everything they said seemed to make perfect sense... yet I **knew** they are great liars and that everything they say has a second meaning. I don't know why I trusted them," he said shaking his head. Norik paced up the room, thoughtfully.

"That'll be something to think about later," he said. "In the meanwhile... do you have an idea why Sirkul attacked Whenua?" he asked. The tone he said it in made Vakama understand that he already knew the answer, but expected him to be able find it also.

"Well... Ihar are Rahi after all, even though their name comes from the fact that they act exactly the opposite... wait a second..." he stopped and turned to Sirkul. "You call yourself Ihar!"

_-And he realises only now- _Hoti answered, rolling his eyes. _-By the way, we don't, actually, we call ourselves...- _ And he made a strange noise, somewhere between a bark, a roar and a meaow.

"I mean when you talk through telepathy," Vakama said, not amused. "Tell me, did that come before or after Kida came to live on our island?"

_-Hooray! They finally realized we wouldn't submit to a Matoran name unless we wanted!-_

_-Before- _Sirkul answered. _-And before you ask, it comes from our own language. It means "gifted with intelligence", though in the case of some Ihar it should be Iwai, "gifted with stupidity". You have an example right here besides me.-_

Hoti grumbled something that sounded pretty much like insults.

"Gifted, or damned?" Vakama asked out of impulse.

_-Damned, if you ask anyone who...-_ Sirkul suddenly stopped to look at Vakama. _-Why don't you just __**ask **__why Hordika and Ihar can't see each other without that one of them is killed?-_

"Right, why don't you just ask them?" Pohatu asked. "No seriously, I mean, they can talk! Well... sort of... So why not ask them? Hey, why don't we go out there and ask the Leehar why they keep attacking this island or why they hate us so much? Oh no, wait..." he suddenly seemed to realize something. "Bad idea."

"Hordika and Ihar both walk on the line between Rahi and Toa," Norik explained, ignoring both Pohatu and Sirkul. "They are the only two species known. They're both at the same level, both have the same power... it's just natural that they hate each other. Though while Hordika have to face the Rahi inside them, Ihar have to face the Toa inside them."

"That doesn't sound like much of a challenge," Vakama commented.

_-Oh, you have no idea- _Hoti snapped, suddenly sounding irritated. _-All other Rahi wouldn't give a damn if the other half of their population disappeared. Sure, get scared, irritated, but go crazy over someone's loss? Fight until death to spare others the same fate? Other Rahi can just run away without looking back! Oh, and they have no ideas about those f... the three virtues. They can act like Rahi whenever they want!-_

"Why would you want to act like Rahi?" Vakama protested.

_-Why would you want to act like Toa?- _Hoti retorted.

"Because I **am**a Toa!" Vakama answered. "And because acting like a Rahi would mean..."

_-Quit it! I know where you're going but it's not true! We're not the bloody maniacs you think we are! That comes from our Toa side, whether you believe it or not!-_

"You're lying!" Vakama protested "Toa are not..."

_-No Rahi would've done what I did a few minutes ago- _Sirkul said. _-And if they had, they would forget about it in the question of days!-_

"No Toa would've done it either!" growled Vakama. "Besides, one should not forget what they did! Especially when it's this bad!"

_-No nightmares, no thinking what a piece of shit you are... that's what comes with forgetting- _Hoti pointed out.

"That is..."

_-No, Makuta knows and likes! We want to forget that we like- _Sirkul said.

"Oh, you like killing, also?"

_-And hate ourselves for it-_

"You should!"

_-We should not! We should just forget!-_

"That is just... you say you have the heart of a Toa, but the way you're talking proves the exact opposite!"

_-I wish it did- _Sirkul hissed coldly.

Vakama turned to the other Toa. "Will you help me out or will you keep protecting your friends?"

"We're not protecting anyone," Tahu answered. "I just got a headache."

Vakama stared at him furiously. "They're insulting Toa and all that comes with it! And you just let them do?"

"You're discussing whether it's Toa's or the Rahi's fault that Hordika and Ihar are so violent!" growled Kopaka. "Do you seriously think we'd start a discussion over something like that?"

"They like murder! They..."

_-We do not like murder! We like killing, we like the moment of it. Ask any Ihar if they'd like to kill the first random guy to pass by, you'll see what they'll answer!-_

"Yet when it comes to it, you don't make yourselves so many problems..."

Pohatu clapped his hands. "Well done you two, you just gave us a practical demonstration of why Hordika and Ihar hate each other so much."

"I'm not..."

"No, but you were, and you know how it feels," Norik pointed out. "What both of you do not understand, is that Hordika want to be Toa because they are Toa, and that Ihar want to be Rahi because that's what they are!"

"They should be thankful..."

"Sure sure," Akapok commented, entering the room that second. "I'm sorry to disturb a discussion that goes on since the creation of this universe, but I'm afraid that if I let it go on we'll get another corpse... I'm not telling whose because I have no idea. Ihar and Hordika fights are really unpredictable."

"How long..." Tahu started.

"Since Hoti's little outburst, the one about other Rahi not caring,"

"Next time, come in earlier," Tahu grumbled, holding his head.

"Even if it is just to kill you?"

"Yes, you'd be dead before you touch me anyway,"

"Fine, I'll remember that," he glanced at Tahu with a sneer. "You don't look to well, are you getting sick? Or is it just the tiredness? Or maybe it's these tunnels? They sometimes have this effect on newly come visitors, I'm sorry I didn't warn you beforehand."

"I changed my mind: get out!"

"You don't wish to know why you're here?"

Tahu raised his head at the words. Akapok sneered again. "I see... well, it's very simple really, you're here to bring the Makuta back."

"The door is that way,"

"Oh, I'm sure you won't say that in a few minutes, shut up Vakama," he added, seeing that the Toa of Fire wanted to say something. "They're big enough to decide on their own." He turned back to Tahu. "I'm sure you'll reconsider, Toa, because we'll get what we want anyway. It's not a matter of helping us or not, it's a matter of who helps us and how great the results will be."

"Go on," Tahu said, suddenly attentive.

"All of you noticed the lines, the symbols, and the map in the room, didn't you?"

"Yes, energy, ancient energy, and things that looked like our symbols," Onua said.

"Exactly, well, it's all part of a ritual that will take Makuta back, as strong as before. Shall I explain you how it works?" And then, without waiting for the answer. "We need six sources of young energy, six of ancient energy, and six of pure energy. It doesn't matter who or what they are, they just have to contain this energy. Then you place them on the right symbols, get it all wound up and start the process. Simple as that. The lines you saw were energy channelers, and the symbols especially made to wrap around the right thing and not let them go."

"What are the sources of energy?" Gali wanted to know.

"Well, we have several combinations, for the ancient source, we can use the Rahaga, the Turaga, or the Ilsao," he said. "Now, we already had the Rahaga, but unfortunately one of them got wind of the plan, and killed himself, making himself and everyone else useless."

"What? Who...?" Norik started.

"Kualus," Akapok answered curtly. Vakama and Norik let out a sound of distress, but Akapok just went on. "So we decided to switch over to something else, namely the Ilsao. We could've used the Turaga too, but we decided they would be more useful as Toa and on our side. You see, five versus seven is just not fair."

"And the newer Energy?"

"Ihar kups, that and nothing else, they've got the strongest, youngest energy inside them, the one that will later turn into their powers. We have those too. That left us our pure energy, which can be found in Toa... or in Matoran," and he shot the Toa a knowing glance. If there had been someone who wasn't paying much attention before, they were now.

"No," Tahu said. "No and no."

"Wait, you didn't hear what you have to do with all this yet. You see, for us, it's exactly the same which source we use, Matoran or Toa. True, our preference is using you, personal pleasure, but Matoran will do just as well. Now what we are giving you, is the choice. You or the Matoran."

"We..."

"Think about it carefully, Toa," Akapok went on. "For if we use you, Makuta will be incredibly strong, and there will be nobody to protect Metru Nui or the other Matoran. While if we use the Matoran... who knows, maybe you can defeat him once again." He sneered again. "Seven or a thousand, Toa? That's the choice you have to make."

"What if we choose to kill you all?" Tahu snarled.

"We unleash the Hordika on you and we see what happens. We'll run away while you're busy fighting, of course, and I honestly have to say I have no idea how it will end. As I already said, Hordika and Ihar battles are very unpredictable. Oh, mind you, we get what we want anyway. There are more Matoran and more kups waiting out there, and we already have the Ilsao."

"You..."

"You have the choice, Toa, I find it's far too generous from my part. I could've used you any time while you were bound to that wall, yet I let you choose" Akapok hissed. He waited for an answer that didn't come, and then he stood up and walked to the door. "I'll leave you now, I still have a few questions to discuss with the others. Think about it well... because the future could depend from this choice."

He had barely finished, when Tahu made a sudden lunge for him. But before he could reach him, the door fell close, and Tahu crashed against it.

"You bloody..." he started slamming his fists against the door. "Just wait until I get my hands on you! Did you hear me? Open this door and I'll tell you what I decided! Come on! Open the door!"

"Tahu..."

"Open. This. DOOR!" he shouted, slamming his fists one last time before suddenly slumping against the metal plate. A sudden wave of tiredness overtook him. He was running on reserve, soon just adrenaline would keep him up, and then... and then...

"Tahu? Are you okay?" Gali's arm placed itself around his shoulders, and he could feel her presence right beside him.

"I'm alright," he muttered, looking hatefully at the closed door. "I'm alright..." He gently removed her arm, but didn't make any effort to stand up, and slumped against the wall instead. Everyone in the room was looking at him, waiting for him to say something about what Akapok had just told them.

"So?" he asked. No answer came. "Don't just look at me like that! What's our decision?"

A moment of silence followed, then... "I'm don't know," Pohatu said finally, he too sitting down against the wall. "This is too strange."

"Why **does **he need our decision anyway?" Gali wanted to know. She and all the other Toa also sat down. "He said it himself, he could've used us any time he wanted!"

"Maybe he's fearafraid of Sirkul?" Lewa suggested.

"After he killed half of their number?" Tahu asked. "No... the Ihar's power is strong, but a Toa's power is much stronger. Besides, he has that stupid Rahkshi staff on him. One flic, and the Ihar are turning against each other." He paused. "I have no doubt he'd use it against us and the Hordika if he needed."

"Maybe he just needs you to cooperate for the ritual?" Vakama suggested. "Or simply to have you accept the fact that you're going to be... part of Makuta, in a few hours."

"Then he'd be stupid," Tahu said with a snarl. "Or not know me well enough. Even if our decision brings me pinned to that wall, I'll fight till the last to stop him from doing whatever he is going to do."

"Even if that would bring the Matoran in danger?" Norik asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"He could threaten you with killing the Matoran if you don't..."

"Then why would he have unbound us in first place?" Kopaka asked. Before anyone could answer, he went on. "Listen, we're just losing time by discussing why he did this, the real question is 'what do we do now'?"

"Stop acting like you were the leader, as a first," Tahu snapped. "And then discuss this."

"There's nothing much to discuss," Onua said. "It's either us or the Matoran."

"Us," Takanuva said at once.

"You don't count," Tahu said brusquely.

"I..."

"Those who are involved are us six and six Matoran," Tahu said angrily. "You will not be concerned! It's our choice, not yours." He noticed that Takanuva was about to say something again. "I don't care if Jaller is your best friend, not right now! We care for him too, you know? Besides, the others are certainly someone else's best friend, so that doesn't count!"

"That's exactly the way of thinking you refused to follow when the Matoran first disappeared!" Kopaka grumbled.

"And where did it bring us?" Tahu asked. "Let's face it, the whole thing was an excuse to lure us in here, tired and weakened by the Ihar's attacks and the lack of sleep. That's why I came to a deal with Akapok, that's the real reason we couldn't face a fight against them!"

"No," Vakama interrupted. "If you had never come, Akapok would have sacrified the Matoran. It wasn't just a trap."

"No, but the fact that we are here arranges him, doesn't it? We can help him bring the Makuta back stronger than ever!"

"We don't have to," Onua reminded him.

"No, but then we'd have to sacrify the Matoran, who are the reason we came here in first place,"

"Which would mean we came here for nothing," Kopaka summed up. "And if we choose to sacrify ourselves, it means we fell in a trap. One that was probably not even set."

"I hate Leehar!" Tahu yelled. "Dammit, do you realize that if we sacrify ourselves for the Matoran, we'd be part of Makuta? That we would indirectly help him take over Metru Nui? Who knows if he wouldn't even get our powers or be able to handle the Ilsao or... what are you looking at?" he roared at Gali, who had been staring at him with her mouth open.

The blue Toa shook her head. "It's just that... I always wondered what it would be like if I ever saw you afraid of something."

"I'm **NOT **afraid!" Tahu growled through gritted teeth.

"No, not in the true sense of the word you're not," Gali agreed. "But you **are **afraid. Or if you prefer, revolted. You're afraid of the idea of becoming part of the Makuta."

"I thought I just said that I'm not afraid?" Tahu snapped. "I just don't want to help Makuta in any way, that's all!"

"None of us does," Lewa said.

"But the only other possibility is..." Pohatu started saying.

"What good would that do to the Matoran anyway, if we sacrified ourselves?" Tahu wanted to know. "If they're then reduced to slavery along the others when Makuta unleashes his powers on Metru Nui? Tell me, what good would that do to them?"

"Vakama and I would still be there to protect them," Takanuva suggested. "And Sirkul and Hoti too."

_-Akapok unleashes the Hordika against Vakama and us Ihar, we try to attack them, but Vakama doesn't let us, he gets killed by them and so do we. You're left alone against Ilag, Awel, Utahop, Auno, Akapok, Nokama, Matau...- _

"I think I get the point..."

_-Whenua, Onewa and Makuta- _finished Sirkul. _-Who in himself contains Gali, Tahu Kopaka, Onua, Pohatu and Lewa, as well as the Makuta himself, six kups and the power of six Ilsao. And if that isn't enough...-_

"I got the point!" Takanuva yelled.

"Even with the Anjai you couldn't put up against them all," Tahu said sadly. "The situation is not good at all."

_-You know-_ Hoti started. _-As horrible as it seems, you're not forced to take that decision.-_

"I know," Tahu said. "But as much as I hate the idea of becoming a part of Makuta, I doubt I could bring myself to take such a decision."

_-You don't have to- _Sirkul said, looking at Kopaka. _-Someone else could take it for you.-_

Everyone turned to look at the Toa of Ice, who simply looked back at them coldly and then said, "As long as Akapok has control over the other Turaga, there is little we can do. So if anyone knows a way to bring them back to their right state of mind, he should speak up now."

"The only way I see is to turn them back into Turaga," Vakama said. "But that takes either the Ilsao or Keetongu, and we have neither of the two."

"So there's not much chance on our side," Kopaka concluded. "Even if we managed to get the Ilsao back, Akapok wouldn't let us use them."

"So, who do we choose, the Matoran, or us?" Gali asked.

"I'm afraid I'm not on the position to decide this," Kopaka said. "After all, Tahu is our leader, not me." As he said this, he shot Tahu a knowing glance, which the red Toa immediately understood, but he didn't do anything until Kopaka spoke on. "If you want me to take decisions for you, you'd better nominate me your leader."

Tahu looked as if he'd rather strangle himself than do something like that. "This is not a time to be difficult, Kopaka," he said through gritted teeth.

"No, in fact," Kopaka agreed. "Come on, the others will always look at you for confirmation if I start taking decisions like that, and after all, it would be only temporary."

Tahu looked at him suspiciously. "Only temporary?"

"I'm not asking to take command of this group," Kopaka said. "Just to lead it until all this is over."

Tahu looked as if he'd rather eat a kraata. Then he said, each word sounding forced. "Okay... then I propose to vote the new leader by hand raise. Who votes for Kopaka?" Then, noticing that the others hesitated, he growled. "Just vote for him." Slowly, some not hiding an amused smile, the other Toa raised their hands, only Tahu didn't. Kopaka rolled his eyes.

"I could force you to raise your hand yourself or nominate me officially," he said. "But as you said, this is not a time to be difficult. I won." He added sarcastically. "I'm your new leader."

"But only until this is over!" Tahu quickly added. "And it's only because their leader is also a Toa of Ice! Which means you can imagine better than me what he's planning!"

"Yes, yes," Kopaka said. Then he shook his head. "You'd do anything to keep your pride, really. I remind you you still owe Gali an excuse... and Sirkul your life," he said coldly.

"Okay, great leader Kopaka," Pohatu said jockingly. "What does your great majesty have in mind for our future?"

"Something that will require a cool head and obedience from all of you," Kopaka said quietly.

* * *

That last part was... unexpected. Yes, I'm serious. 

WTF? Did i just write this? O.o looks at text, is afraid it will disappear Hey, Feline Freak writes! For how much time, though? wonders herself I don't know, seriously. At least this chapter is over, and I re-wrote this one three times! .

I hope the rest will come easier... i still don't like this one (apart from the ending, which I hadn't had in mind) and I'm sure the explanation why Ihar hate Hordika was much shorter, but that's what comes from not writing for six months! (to all writers: do yourself a favor, write this down :P )

Next... next what? Oh yes.. battles:D

A/N: a bit of an annoying moment when trying to update this ff. net kept giving me an "empty document". I nearly had an outburst at the computer.


	22. Wound Up

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle... oh wow! I'm writing!

**Wound Up**

The door slid open, and Akapok entered the room once again. "So? What have you decided?"

Kopaka looked up at him, right into his eyes. "What will happen to the Matoran if we choose to sacrifice ourselves?"

Akapok looked at him blankly. "They'll be free to go home, of course."

"How do we know that you won't kill them anyway?"

"There's a Tikohl inside the complex, we'll let you escort them till there and then enter the code yoursevles, while we keep an eye on you,"

"You sure do have an answer to everything," Pohatu commented.

"Having a solution to every situation is the key to success, Toa," Akapok answered. "You should learn from this... but then again, you won't have much time to make use of this lesson, as I understand that you've chosen to hand yourselves over."

"No," Kopaka said curtly. Akapok turned to look at him.

"No?" he turned to look at Tahu. "Does that mean you're going to sacrify the Matoran instead?"

"It's me you should talk to," Kopaka said icily. Akapok looked first at him, then at the Toa of Fire, who nodded defiantly. That little humiliation had brought something good, at least, like seeing Akapok taken aback for once.

"So are you..."

"Yes," Kopaka cut him off. Akapok stared at him a couple of seconds, then shrugged and turned back into the room.

"Fine then," he said. "It's your choice. It's ironical though how you made your whole way here to rescue the Matoran, just to hand them over."

"Sometimes fate is ironic," Kopaka answered.

"Whatever," Akapok said, winking at Auno, who set off, probably to fetch the Matoran. "You're free to go. The Tikohl is that way, you shouldn't cross any closed door once out of this room. If you do, it's not my problem."

Kopaka followed him with his eyes as he left the room and went off to speak with Utahop. He had already placed the Ilsao and the kups for the ritual, he noticed. He really did seem to be in a hurry. Well, that just meant they would have to hurry up too, then. He nodded to the others and set off in the direction Akapok had said the Tikohl to be. He didn't worry about not finding it, he trusted Onua to remember the way back, and aside from that, it was not their main concern, for the moment. First thing they had to do was break that damn ritual, and then...

Akapok had really thought it out well, the door to the Tikohl was already open, and as if it wasn't enough, the Matoran were already there to witness their betrayal... how many times had they been hoping for rescue, just to be let down, since the beginning of this adventure? But then again, all the times it had just been an impression, as all they had done had been for them. Even now, they were retreating just to strike at a crucial moment. Or were they? Something about seeing the Matoran in the room, looking at them in horror, desperation or anger, even, made something buzz in the back of his head. He turned back to the open door, the one behind that one was open too, to give a view on the empty hall behind. He glanced over at Tahu, who was standing right behind him, refusing to retreat too much from his position as a leader. The red Toa seemed worried too, he kept throwing furtive glances at the area, as if something might jump at them any second. And in fact, it seemed too easy... way too easy.

As they passed the door, h e looked back at the hall in front of them, and suddenly understood what was wrong in the scenery, what was making him nervous, and all that didn't fit suddenly came falling on him to settle on the one, single question: If Auno had gone looking for the Matoran, then where was he?

A movement besides him. He turned around and tried to freeze the Leehar of Earth, but he had understood it all one second too late.

"Retrea..."

The fist came down on his head like a metal hammer, and everything went black.

XXXXX

Kopaka was woken up by a load of cold water in his face. When he finally cleared his vision, he seemed to understand that the Leehar had somehow managed to unfreeze Ilag, and subtle lights running up and down the room told him that the ritual was already taking place, or at least wound up. He tried to move, but his arms were bound to the wall, again. But why? They had decided to...

"It was all just a trap!" he realized.

"Yes, it was," Tahu answered angrily. "The Matoran, the creatures, the Turaga... all just an excuse to lure us here!" The Toa of Fire kicked at the wall. "Even that stupid decision..."

"They thought we would be guided by our feelings again..." Gali went on.

"But it didn't happen," Onua said softly. And then. "I knew in part that this was a trap. Every door we passed closed behind us, leading us to the center of the maze. I just hadn't realized..."

A loud buzz interrupted all discussion. The lights that had been jumping through the room suddenly, became more intense and concentrated on the lines and symbols on the floor. Ilag, who had been standing quietly on the side till that moment, smiled and sent them a flying kiss before leaving the room.

"It's not a problem now anyway," Pohatu said. "As we're about to become part of Makuta."

"No," growled Tahu. "No we are not!"

"Yes you are!" a voice said over them. Looking up, the Toa realized that the ceiling of the chamber had slid open to reveal another room on top of that, safely repaired by another layer of transparent protodermis. They could see that the Leehar were holding Turaga Vakama and Norik captive, guarded by a couple of Hordika who kept shooting them and the Leehar dark glances. In another corner were the Matoran, and in another the Ihar, guarded in a similar fashion, while Takanuva had been disposed of his own personal guard, namely Utahop and Auno. They had not removed his Ilsao, probably afraid of what he might do. Akapok was sneering down at them, triumph written in his face.

"And there's nothing you can do against it!" he finished.

"Don't talk too early," Kopaka snarled. "We're not part of Makuta just yet!"

Akapok glanced at him. "So icy Kopaka has finally decided to open his mouth? He needed a promotion to captain to do so!"

"Isn't it normally Utahop's role to shoot lousy comments at us?" Pohatu asked.

"As you see, I'm capable of doing so too," Akapok retorted icily.

"You needed to rise over us to do so! And I mean literally,"

Akapok's eyes narrowed. "What is it? Trying to act brave before your end comes?"

"Our end will not come!" Tahu growled pulling at the bonds, which naturally just pulled back until he could no longer move. He jerked his head angrily, and one coil immediately sprang out and curled around his neck, and Tahu gasped as it suddenly pulled back and tightened.

"Stop you idiot!" Kopaka snapped. "You'll get yourself strangled!"

"As if I hadn't noticed," the red Toa retorted through clenched teeth.

Akapok laughed. "As you see, you have no way of escaping, and the ritual is already wound up! You have no choice!"

Kopaka grimaced. "One always has a choice! Even if both lead to destruction."

Akapok shrugged. "Fine then, do as you wish. Oh, any questions before your doom comes?"

"Yes," Pohatu said. "Isn't this room-over-room with ceiling-that-slides-back-to-reveal-an-evil-observation-point a bit overrated? I mean, I know you're sadistic creeps that like to see other people suffering, but this is a bit ridiculous. You could've just built windows in the wall of the other rooms or something!"

"Another one," Akapok said, not before sending him a spiteful glance.

"What if the ritual does not work?" Lewa asked.

"Then you're not the ones to be concerned by it, or am I mistaken?"

"Sure but, we're not going to become two headed freaks or so, are we?"

Akapok was clearly starting to lose his nerves. Obviously, the questions he had expected weren't coming.

_What was he expecting anyway? _Lewa thought. _He knew we'd take the chance to tauntmock him!_

The time to find it was not on their side either, both his and Pohatus questions came from the urge to find something to say, more than a desire to annoy Akapok, and while they lost time, the symbols and the lines were glowing more and more brightly, and the jumping lights were now moving faster and faster and had started going up and down the lines. He looked over at the others, Kopaka, Tahu, and Gali seemed to have come to the same conclusion and were all looking around trying to guess what they were supposed to ask. Onua just wore a resigned expression on his face, as if he already knew the answer.

"Will you stop acting like the idiots you are?" Akapok asked.

"Akapok, we seriously have no idea what the heck you want us to ask you!" Gali said clearly. Akapok frowned, probably thinking about how much more stupid these Toa were than he had imagined. Onua sighed.

"Well, fine then..." he said. "Where is Makuta?"

Akapok's face lit up. "Finally," he said, and opened his mouth to start some sort of twisted talk like he usually did.

"But I also know the answer," Onua cut him off. "He's in one of these rooms, waiting to enter the ritual at the right moment, namely when... agh!"

One of the jumping lights had finally reached him, and was now being followed by all the others in a two. Onua could already feel the effects of what was going to happen.

"When the ritual has already begun..." he went on.

"Fine, fine," Akapok said. "But..."

"I already know who Makuta is," Onua cut him off. The streaks of light were jumping all around him and around all the other Toa. "He's not... aaah!" Another streak had jumped at him. "A wreck... or... ow... inside some strange creature... he's... ugh... he's inside someone's body... or better..." He stopped. "One body... because that body isn't supposed to exist anymore..."

"And I suppose you know the name of that body too? Or the name of the person it resembles?"

Onua wanted to answer, but the lights were now so close that there was nearly always one touching him, and though they didn't make any sound, Akapok had had to yell to make himself heard. The lights came closer, closer, and then laid themselves perfectly around his and all the other Toa's bodies, and then, they disappeared.

For a moment, it was dark inside the room, and so quiet that the Toa could hear their own heartbeats, and then...

"Lhikan..." Onua whispered, and then the lights flew out of their bodies and exploded into the room, channelling into the signs on the ground and dragging the Toa's spirit with them.

* * *

Thanks to Regrem Erutaerc for reviewing this crap nobody remembers about (no surprise here). What I'd like to know is why I'm getting constant new favs and reviews for Heroes of the Past. 

On a side note about what happened two chapters ago: though I knew it had to end with the death of either the Ihar or Whenua, it appears pretty senseless after reading HP7. (where one death at the least was completely senseless) Actually, it's not, but placed like that, it is. Oh well, read on, just don't expect an incredible revelation by the end of the next five, six chapters. And don't kill me if something bad happens again either.

And THIS is what I was ranting about that you should all know I don't know how many chapters ago: Lhikan. Yes, I DID leave clues. They're just not-so-very obvious. (actually, they aren't even real clues, but they can bring one to this conclusion) Yes, I'm evil. Yes, you can ask me what they were, just don't kill me afterwards.


	23. A Tornado of Thoughts

Disclaimer: Bionicle still isn't mine

**A Tornado of Thoughts**

It was the chaos, or at least so it seemed to them. Their spirits were dragged inside a whirling tornado along with the ones of the kups. Beams of light shot past them, running in their direction and in the opposite one. Occasionally, another spirit passed besides them, leaving behind a trail of whizzing glowing somethings that seemed pieces of energy. But what was really maddening was that, while all of this happened, they were somehow still in their body and looking at the scene, and what they saw was... nothing. No whirling tornado, and no spirits trapped inside it. Just some lights pulsing up and down the lines on the floor.

_Why is this happening? _Lewa thought. _It didn't when the creatures sucked our energy!_

_Because that was elemental energy, you idiot! _A voice in his mind shouted back. _This is pure energy they're looking for, and it looks like pure energy is our spirits._

_Yeah, why else would we have been so sure we were going to die otherwhise?_

_Die? I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!_

_Help me! Someone help me!_

_What the... _Lewa thought, suddenly realizing that those voices were not his thoughts.

_Stop shouting in my mind!_

_I want to go home!_

_Wait a second..._

_Are these other people's thoughts I'm hearing?_

_Is this actually what the other's are thinking?_

_Huh?_

A moment of silence followed this realisation. But just a moment.

_Is that you I hear Lewa?_

_Gali say something!  
_

_I want my mom!_

_What the heck am I supposed to say?_

_This makes perfect sense and at the same time it doesn't!_

_Help us!_

_Stupid glowing thingy..._

Lewa's head spun. Too many, too many thoughts swirled through it, thoughts that weren't his. The other Toa kept shouting at each other, trying to make sense in the mess that were bits of conversations. It was like listening to a lot of people talk at the same time, except you understood everything of what everyone was saying, and hundreds of times faster, as thoughts were istantaneous. The only time he had experienced something similar had been back on Mata Nui, when the Bohrok had placed a krana on his face...

_Help us! We want to get out of here!_

_What madness..._

_If I don't go insane this time, I never will._

...but this was a hundred times worse! Not only he could hear thoughts that the others wanted him to hear, but he could hear everything! Every single thing that passed through one's mind, every feeling even! He could even feel a fear he had thought had never existed in Tahu, or feelings deep in Kopaka..

Wait a second. If he coul 'hear' all of that from the others. Then the others could hear it from him?

_Mata Nui! _Came the single, concrete thought that had formed in all the Toa's minds as the realisazion of this hit them.

A sudden wave of panic washed over the Toa as they realized precisely what that meant. Everyone suddenly stopped trying to make a sense out of the many thoughts that passed through the room, trying instead to conceal secrets, thoughts and feelings from the other Toa, and at the same time doing their best not to read things that came from others. And while all of this happened, the thoughts of the kups sailed by and added even more to the Toa's confusion.

And then, Lhikan entered the room.

From their bodies, the Toa recognized him clearly as he entered the room and walked quietly to the center of the room, a new light in his eyes, that hadn't been there the last time they had seen him. He passed the tornado of chaos as if it didn't even exist, and placed himself quietly in the middle of the room, waiting...

_**Come to me!**_

The message pierced the Toa's panicked thoughts like a bullet, and suddenly, nobody was worrying anymore about what the others might be reading from them.

_Forget it!_

_Piss off!_

_There's no way I'm joining one like you!_

_I tell you where you can put that "come to me"!_

_Okay, enough thought and panicked... we need to find a way out of here!_

_**There is no way out! The only way you can get out of this torment... is becoming a part of me!**_

_Thought speak! This is like thought speak! Not Ihar thought speak, but thought speak of those species whose minds are all linked to one another, when they're little, they can't hide their thoughts from anyone, they have to learn how! That's how this is... except even worse._

_I'll take what the kups said for real. And let's hope he's right._

_Fine, so what?_

_**Come to me!**_

_How do we get out of here?_

_I don't know!_

_We're still in our bodies, yet we're here, so we technically don't have to get out of here, just... I don't know!_

_**COME TO ME! **_

The flow that had been spinning them around until them suddenly changed direction, and the Toa could feel a force trying to pull them towards the center of the circle, where they could feel Makuta's presence, like a black hole, trying to get hold of them. Occasionally, a dark tendril shot out, trying to grab hold of whatever was in the way...

_HE GOT ME!_

The scream did not come from any of the kups, but from a Toa. Namely...

_Mata Nui! _Kopaka thought. _Gali was right..._

_I got you!_

_Not real fear, revulsion, he... oh this is crazy, I can actually tell Tahu fears something... someone get me out of this dream!_

_Don't let go! Whatever you do! Don't let go!_

The situation was degenerating way too fast. As if it wasn't enough having to find a way to reverse the ritual in a matter of seconds, while Makuta kept sending waves of dark thoughts at them and at the same time tried to catch their spirits and energy with his tendrils, they had to face a mixture of emotions and thoughts that came from every side at every second, and what was worse, there were the mixed feelings that none of them had ever expected to find in their fellow Toa that confused them even further, blocking out the thoughts and logic that they really needed. And yet, there was a nagging thought in Kopaka's head that kept echoing through the tornado, the feeling that there was something he was supposed to know that could get out of there in a matter of seconds.

_He needs us alive... _Kopaka suddenly realized, unsure where his certainity came from, but another Toa already had the answer.

_Yes, the energy is in the spirit only as long as it's alive. _Gali answered.

_More than that, remember what Akapok said? About one of the Rahaga suiciding himself and all the others becoming useless? _Onua suddenly remembered.

_Please, Toa, get us out of here._

_If we die, if one of us dies... but we're already in the middle of the ritual, what would happen if..._

_If one of us dies... those bonds would strangle one if he moved too much... I wonder if I can still move my body?_

_DON'T EVEN THINK OF THAT TAHU!_

_Why can't you get us out of here? You're Toa!_

_Too late. And you're not going to change my mind._

_Idiot..._

_AAAAAGH!_

A tendril had wrapped itself around Gali's ankle, and was now dragging her down towards Makuta. Kopaka shot forward to help her. The situation kept worsening with every moment that passed.

_That's it, I'm doing it!_

_NO!_

Pohatu, who had been pinned to the wall next to him, instinctively turned around to see if he was actually doing it. Realizing that he could actually move his head, he istantly realized what that meant, and saw that Tahu was indeed struggling with all his force against the bonds.

_TAHU YOU IDIOT WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?_

_We need to get out of here... NOW!_

_**Keep dreaming, little Toa, there are no ways out of the circle, once inside it. You'll all end up with me...**_

Kopaka clenched his teeth, he had no idea how this sort of tornado worked, so he had no idea how they could possibly get out. All that they knew was... what?

_Help me out, what do we know?_

_It was created by the Leehar by drawing lines on the floor. But I have no idea how they started the process..._

_It sucks spirits in and only spirits, well energy too._

_People from the outside can't see it. Makuta passed through it without problems._

_That means it doesn't exist for those who aren't already inside it._

_So how come Makuta's grabbing at us?_

Kopaka quickly stringed all the information he was getting from the other Toa's thoughts together. Created from the Leehar, Makuta passing though it... he got a sudden idea. Could it be that the tornado existed only for spirits and the energy Makuta needed?

_Yes, that could be possible, i can't see anything from my body!_

_Which is exactly what's so crazy._

_But can you get us out of here?_

_Then how can Makuta grab at us with these tendrils?_

A strangled sound coming from Tahu told them that time was running short. Kopaka ignored it and went on trying to find a piece of the puzzle that would get them out of there.

_If he can grab us that means his tendrils are energy and that means that they can be sucked in just like us!_

_We can stem against the flow using our willpower._

_Then we'll have to have more willpower than Makuta. Gali, I'm letting go of you, get hold of that tendril and **pull**!_

A second of hesitation, and then he let go of her and shot towards another of Makuta's dark tendrils, grabbing it and pulling at it with all his force. He thought he saw Makuta sway a little, but wasn't sure about it.

_Pohatu, let go of me and help the others! I won't have it for long anyway! _He heard Tahu say, even his thoughts sounded somewhat strangled. Well, if this wasn't going to help, there was alwas a chance that Tahu's idea would...

_**What do you think you're doing, Toa? There is no way you can fight against me if you can't even control your emotions enough to hide them from me!**_

_He has been reading...?_

A sudden wave of anger explosed from the Toa, and insults of all kinds were thrown at Makuta, both from the Nuva and from the kups. It took Makuta only a second to realise his mistake, but by then, everyone was already pulling even harder than before.

_We'll see how much you like reading our thoughts when you're inside here! _Tahu snarled, pulling as hard as he could. Which wasn't very hard, actually, his mind was clouded and he could barely tell what he was doing, let alone...

And then suddenly, his spirit wasn't inside the tornado anymore.

_Frell!_

_TAHU!  
_

_Shit... harder! We have to pull harder!_

_I can't pull any harder than this!_

_What the... What's going on?_

The vortex, suddenly missing one source of energy, was suddenly even faster than before, sucking in everything around it that contained energy. Even Makuta seemed to have trouble restraining from it.

_**Fools! There is nothing you can do!**_

_That's what you say, _Kopaka snarled. _But I can see that you're wavering, there's something dark threatening to fly out of you. Your spirit, isn't it? Your energy!_

Makuta laughed.

_**Who cares, if I manage to get you first? **_

Something dark suddenly filled Kopaka like a dark cloud, forcing him to let go and stop fighting. It creeped into his mind and confused him, and suddenly he didn't know where he was and what he had to do anymore. He could hear the other Toa shouting something, but couldn't tell what it was. At moments he became aware that he was gradually drifting towards the center...

_No... you will not get me... nor the kups... nor the Ilsao... OH!_

And suddenly, the last piece of the puzzle clicked in. He cursed himself for not having thought about it earlier. After all, Ilsao were the one thing all of them knew about more than anyone else... And suddenly he also realized that he hadn't seen anything that resembled Ilsao energy in that tornado. The thought cleared his mind for a moment, and he saw distinctly the energy of the Heerole hanging right before him. Not quite in the tornado, it was like a rope, or a string, still clinging to its owner. Then the darkness filled him again, dragging him down faster than before. Struggling against the pull, he reached out for the Heerole with the part of his mind that was still free and grabbed at its energy.

_**NO!**_

He felt a sudden yank, and before he knew it he was flying through the room and back into his own body. He crashed hard against the wall, and then dropped to the floor, somehow unbound.

"TAHU!" the shout came from Pohatu, on the other side of the room. Kopaka looked up to see the Toa of Fire lying motionless on the ground. His eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing, and his heartlight...

"No..."

He wasn't even sure whether it was glowing or not.

* * *

HAHA! I MANAGED TO TAME YOU, CHAPTER!!! 

It still kinda sucks. Especially because those thoughts make the Toa appear OOC. But they are, like... you know when someone grabs you from behing, and your brain "screams"? That would be heard in the twister. EVERYTHING would be heard in the twister. Like, right now that I'm writing this, I'm thinking about what I'm writing, but I'm also thinking about boarding school, my sister, how lame this chapter is, if I'll ever be able to actually write this to the end... ALL of this would be heard in the twister.

And I re-wrote this five times because I kept overdoing it or underdoing it.

Explain me this phrase: " After all, Ilsao where the one thing evolved all of them knew about more than anyone else..."

It was in the text when I edited it all, and I have no idea what it means.

Another thing: I have finally recieved the timetable for next year. And I had to realise that any hope to be able to do something more that this yeas is pure delusional. Those bastards are going to keep us at school from 8 o'clock in the morning to 6 o'clock in the evening! Except for wednesday, but you gotta be dreaming if you expect me to hope on my only free afternoon...

Those totals... I'm not even saying WHAT they are. This damned country has a rule that forbids anyone to work for more than 35 hours a week. And then what do we get at school? Each day for five days from 8 to 18 is 50 hours a week you math failures! 50! And we're not even of age yet! Without counting the lunch break and the four hours less from Wednesday still makes it freaking 41 hours a week! Hello? What is this shit? Our parents get to work less than we do? On top of that, we have HOMEWORK. Do you know what that is, homework? It's something that adds another hour a day to work if done properly. And then you expect us to work as if nothing was and study for the tests and exams? Of which we get one every week and sometimes even one a day, occasionally three tests on a single day? And I mean big tests, that count double and that spawn over the last two months. Not surprise tests about what we did the day before!

Wish me good luck. I'm going to positively DIE this year. I hate this fucking school system...

Also, next year I'm going to be in boarding school from monday to friday. I was hoping to write/take notes during the school week and then type during the weekend, but I honestly don't know what I'm going to do. I also have driving lessons to count in, so I really can't promise you anything, just that I'll try to finish this fanfic before I get back to school. I'm typing each day but I have a stupid time limit on my computer, so I can't go nearly as fast as I want to. So well... there are just five or six chapter to go, I should make it if I start typing on the computer below too. It will be a pain but I should do it. I just wih I had written more during the rest of the year now.

Anyway, thanks to: Shadowed Ice, regrem erutaerc (I know what you mean when you say I rushed the details, sorry about it ), and Magdalan-Saiyan-Toa (I answered you) for reviewing. Sorry for the odd chapter again.

Ah, when I first started the contest: you have all the clues, get the answer and win a pairing. I had said that someone had gotten very close to the truth. That was Regrem Erutaerc, with her theory: _Not sure what's goin' on, but my GUESS is that somehow, someone(possibly a formless Makuta since he lost his body in Mask of Light) has gained control of and upgraded certain Vahki that have the ability to control others, and those Vahki are now using those powers to control the Turaga. That, or Rahkvahki, fusions of Rahkshi and Vahki. And for the toa, I'm guessing the ones that framed the Toa Nuva are the missing matoran, forcibly turned into Dark Toa by the Makuta, and being controlled by him and his minions. Though, these are just guesses._

Apart from the fact that the purple-eyed creature is not a Vahki, or a Rahvahki (though it's not that far off anyway) they ARE controlling the Turaga .. in a way. But no, the missing matoran were not turned into dark Toa, sorry. We have enough of those around.

Well, congrats, you earned a cookie:D


	24. One Down

Disclaimer: Bionicle isn't mine. Hahaha, stupid writer's block is over! evilgrin

**One Down...**

"Tahu!"

The Toa scrambled to their feet and rushed at the crimson Toa's side, Kopaka keeping slightly aside. In the middle of the room, Makuta-Lhikan was struggling to stand up, while the Ihar kups, panicked and still under shock for the experience of the tornado, were running all over tha place, looking for each other and whimpering. The Ilsao were scattered all around the floor.

"He's not breathing!" shouted Pohatu, who had been the first to reach Tahu.

"I have a smartidea, move!" Lewa elbowed his way through the other Toa, reaching the motionless Toa of Fire. He placed his hands on the Toa's chest, which started glowing slightly green as he pumped air into it.

"_**Fools of Toa!" **_muttered Makuta-Lhikan. Without a warning, he transformed his hand into five dark tentacles, and shot them at the Toa's backs, too fast to be dodged.

Kopaka saw them.

With a short, warning shout, he placed himself between the Toa and the Makuta-Lhikan, raising his shield just in time. Four tendrils struck it with such a force that the icy Toa slid backwards for a few inches before coming to a halt. He wasn't so lucky with the fifth one. It came a split second later, twisted itself around his legs and snapped them together. Cackling, Makuta pulled back his tentacles, sending the ice Toa flying and smashing him against the ceiling. The kups wailed in fear, looking desperately for a place to hide.

"Come on Tahu, wake up!" Gali urged him. The scene had barely lasted a few seconds, and it would take only a few seconds for Makuta to attack again. Lewa repeated what he had just done, and again, the red Toa's chest raised as his lungs filled with air. "Come on... agh!"

A new attack had hit her with such a force that she was propelled against Onua, missing Lewa by millimeters. Before she even had the time to breath, the tendrils had wrapped themselves around her and jerked her away. Lewa cursed softly and repeated what he had been doing. And finally, Tahu's heartlight gave a bright glow and he woke up with a jerk, coughing and gasping for air.

"Wow!" Pohatu said with a laugh. "That was some quick thinking!"

Tahu mumbled something that could've been a thanks to his friends or a curse about his own ideas. But none of them could ask, because another arms of tentacles passed through them, evelopping Tahu and smashing him against the wall.

_This can't be true! _The red Toa thought. _I just wake up and I'm... what? What's hap-_

His thoughts were brutally interrupted as he was jerked off his feet and thrown hard through the air against a Gali flying in a similar fashion. The two Toa smashed against each other and plummeted to the ground.

"What. The. Heck. Is. Happening?" Tahu growled at Gali.

"Get the Ilsao!" called Kopaka from the other side of the room. He was already holding three of them and darting for the fourth.

Hearing him, Makuta twisted around and lashed out to stop him, and then the ceiling fell on all of them.

There was no earthquake, no rumble, no huge rocks falling down. One moment it was above them, the next moment it was **on top** of them, dragging down Takanuva, the Leehar, the Matoran, the Turaga-Hordika and the two Ihar.

"Ooooooow..." Pohatu groaned as he struggled to free himself from the debris. "Did the world just fall on us?"

"No," Takanuva mumbled. "After you undid whatever was going on down here, we were hit by a strong surge of energy that knocked everyone off their feet. The Ihar and I managed to free ourselves and so did the Matoran and Vakama. We started a short battle and then we fell down here."

"All reunited again, heh?" Tahu smiled at the Leehar.

"In a reunion that you won't survive," Akapok retorted.

A sound coming somewhere from the bottom of a pile in the middle of the room reminded them all of Makuta. Auno quickly moved over to remove the stones, but it turned out that Makuta didn't need much help. Once the top one removed, he quickly threw away the other stones with his tendrils and then turned to the Toa, who were already in battle stances. "Fools. You have no idea what you just started. Once the process has begun it cannot be reversed!"

"What do you mean?" Lewa asked. "We just stopped the spirittwister thing!"

Makuta shook his head. He made to say something, but as he opened his mouth, a short earthquake shook the room. Makuta smiled.

"You finished one thing, but you just started another. By nightfall, this place will have collapsed and sunk into the depths of the ocean, and you, and everyone inside, will be dead."

"What you..."

"You have one hour, maybe less, to defeat the Leehar, free the Ihar who are still trapped, the remaining Rahaga, the Matoran and yourselves," he paused. "Oh, and that, of course, without counting me."

And with that, he summoned a shadow sphere and made to throw it. The Toa tensed their muscles, ready to jump to the side, but Makuta suddenly turned around and thrust the ball right at the Matoran, who could only just get away.

"Hey..." was all that Takanuva, taken by surprise just like the other Toa, managed to say. Makuta laughed.

"You thought this would be an easy fight, didn't you? Eight Toa and two Ihar against five Leehar and some poor wreck. Instead..."

He didn't finish, the Toa had gotten the point. Instead, they were facing Makuta in the full of his powers, five Leehar in much better physical form than them, and five Hordika. **And **they had to make sure that the Matoran wouldn't get hurt.

"And thinking that it was you who was talking about unfair numbers just a while ago," Tahu said, grimacing.

"Was I?" Akapok asked. "Well, in that case, I give you all the right to complain yourselves."

"How long will we keep on talking?" Kopaka asked.

"I think we can stop now," Akapok answered. Then he flicked his sword so fast they barely noticed, and Kopaka was frozen in a huge block of ice.

For about two seconds.

Then the block encasing the Toa of Ice broke apart in a million pieces as Kopaka ordered it to do so.

"Amusing," the ice Toa said dryly.

"So that's how they freed Ilag," Tahu mumbled.

"Aren't you glad we found a way?" Ilag asked, smiling.

"Sure," Tahu answered, going for his swords. "This way I can kill you myself!"

And he threw a ball of fire at her.

And then the battle started.

Ilag jumped to the side and aimed a jet of water at Tahi, who jumped over it and at the same time brought himself closer to the water Toa, who in turn backflipped to bring herself away.

Taking that as a sign, Awel attacked Lewa and Utahop grabbed a huge chunk from the floor and kicked it hard, sending it flying against the Toa Nuva. Kopaka quickly froze it and Pohatu smashed it to pieces with a single kick, sending the chunks flying back at the Leehar.

Utahop didn't even move, he simply redirected the pieces at the Matoran. Onua hurried to jump in the way, taking in the plummeting darts of stone with his arms and chest until finally, a sharper one pierced his armor and got stuck in his stomach. The Toa of Earth grunted his teeth at the pain, and Akapok seized the chance to freeze his legs and manipulate the ice the pull them away from underneath his body, sending the Toa of Earth crashing on his back before Kopaka could, once more, break the sheet of ice into pieces and then throw them at Auno.

"Pohatu, Gali," he said. "Get the Matoran out!"

"Huh?" both Toa stopped battling Utahop to face him. "How?"

"With your two Kakama Nuva!" Tahu yelled at them, before dodging a cascade of earth that was being sent at him by Auno and then proceeding his pursue after Ilag.

"Right," Kopaka said. Then he quickly grabbed Pohatu to pull him out of the way of an incoming boulder, just the find himself flattened by the Toa of Stone as he pushed him down to avoid being thrown over by a swooping Awel and a Lewa hot on his heels.

"Muchsorry brothers!" Lewa called, resuming his chase after the Leehar of Air. Wind had formed in the room as the two Toa of Air affronted each other, and the battle had soon evolved in a flying chase as the wind became strong enough.

Kopaka turned to Pohatu and Gali. "Go!"

"But why us?" Gali screamed. "We can still be of help..." But Kopaka was already off to help Vakama. The two Toa looked at each other resignedly and darted off towards the Matoran.

"Why isn't Makuta fighting?" Gali asked. She had to yell to make herself heard. In fact, Makuta was merely standing in the middle of the room, watching the chaos around him.

"Be thankful for it sister... **watch your back!**"

Gali twisted around just in time to see a wave of debris aiming right at her. She quickly summoned a jet of water so powerful it blasted a hole in it. Then she jumped through it. Auno made to close the opening on her, but his control over his powers was too scarce and Gali made it through. She landed on her feet and replied by encasing Auno in a huge sphere of water.

"Get the Matoran!" she cried. Pohatu didn't need the have it repeated twice. He quickly reached Hewkii, who was doing his best to help the Toa by kicking whatever debris he could find at the Leehar.

"Hewkii!" he called. The Po-Matoran turned around and smiled at Pohatu.

"Hey, Pohatu!"

"Gather the other Matoran, now!"

"Is done," Hewkii answered, darting off. Pohatu turned back to the battle, just in time to see a very angry Matau darting at him.

_Uh-oh_ he thought. But he needn't have worred. Before Matau could even bring out the disk launcher, Hoti was on him and the two were rolling around on the floor, each trying to bite and scratch the other.

"We're here!" Hewkii said, coming back.

"Good," Pohatu answered. "Where's Gali?"

A strangled scream answered his question as Auno finally reacted and made the earth under Gali rise, smashing her against the ceiling and slowly squeezing her.

"Frell!" Pohatu cursed and shot at the earth mound, kicking it hard. Though it wasn't rock, the force of his kick still crushed its base and brought it tumbling down. Then he grabbed Gali's hand and pulled her away before Auno could create another wall.

"Through that door!" he yelled at Hewkii, pointing at a door he knew he had come through. The Po-matoran signaled the others and they all ran through the door. Pohatu and Gali came right after. They were nearly there when Onewa Hordika jumped in the middle of the path, snarling at them. Pohatu kicked him out of reflex, remembering only afterwards that that had been his Turaga. He and Gali shot through the door.

"Someone close this door behind us!" he yelled.

"Stonerbrother! Watersister! Grab!" Lewa came running towards them, throwing two bright stones. Pohatu and Gali caught the Puneko and the Shilara.

"Thanks brother!" Pohatu shouted. Lewa smiled, and in that moment, Awel landed on him, knocked the Toa of Air down on his back and started sucking the air out of his lungs.

"No! Lewa!" Gali cried. She quickly sent a jet of water at the two Toa, forcing them apart. Lewa quickly caught his breath and then resumed the air-battel against Awel.

_-I'm closing the door!- _Sirkul informed them. Gali and Pohatu quickly retreated as the metal plate slid close.

"Good," Pohatu sighed. "Part one is done. Now, how are we getting out?"

"What do you mean getting ou?" Jaller wanted to know. "Are you running away from the battle?"

"Yes, and we're leaving all our friends in there to die at the Leehar's, Hordika's, and Makuta's hands, just to get you out."

"What?" Jaller shouted. "I don't **want** to get out! I thought you were going to give us some direction about the battle."

Pohatu laughed. "You honestly think we would let you get yourself killed? You're just in the way there."

"I will not..."

Another earthquake, stronger this time, interrupted him, followed by a shout from inside the room as something toppled over one of the fighters inside.

"Auno, Onua or the complex?" Gali asked.

"I don't know," Pohatu said. "Let's say it's Onua. It's safest."

"So what do we do now?"

"That was my question. Do you know the way out?"

"No," Gali shook her head. "I didn't even come this way."

"Ah. And yo you know how to open a closed door in here?"

"Sort of, but that's the least of our problems, we can easily get through them with the Kakama Nuva."

"So we just run?" Pohatu asked. "You know, not only they make us leave them to their fate, but they also give us a job we know nothing about!" He said, pointing at the door to refer to his brothers.

"But someone has to do it," Gali said, even if she too, would have preferred battling on the side of her brothers.

"Fine then. You carry Hahli, Kotu and Jeea. I'll carry Hewkii, Onepu, Matoro and Jaller."

"But we don't want to run away!" Hahli protested.

"No," Gali said. "But you'll have to anyway, once this maze sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Better if you do it now then at the last second."

"Are you talking about us," Jaller asked evilly. "Or about yourselves too?"

Gali stared at him opened-mouthed. Pohatu blinked, as if he wasn't sure he understood.

"Let's just go," he said finally. Gali shifted her mask to the Great Kakama Nuva, then they both grabbed their Matoran and sped off.

XXXXX

Takanuva only barely blocked an attack that had been directed at the Ihar kups and Norik.

"Kopaka! Kopaka!" he called for his leader. His leader. Funny how all of them ad accepted so quickly to look up to Kopaka for a while. And funny how well Kopaka had adapted to it.

"What is it?" Kopaka asked, landing right beside him.

"The kups!" Takanuva panted. "And Norik. It's already the fourth time that I..."

But Kopaka had already gone.

_He still stays Kopaka though,_ Takanuva thought with a sigh, going on protecting the Rahaga and the kups. _Just talks a bit more when he needs to order something._

A few seconds later, Sirkul and Hoti turned up.

_-Kopaka told us to get the kups and Norik and find the other Ihar and the remaining Rahaga-_ Sirkul explained.

_-Come on rascals- _Hoti said, turning to the kups. _-This way.-_

The small Ihar followed him obediently.

_-Norik rides on me,- _Sirkul went on. -_Help him up, Takua-_

Takanuva quickly hauled Norik on the Ihar's back, and then both Ihar disappeared.

_That was fast, _Takanuva thought. _Now I can go help the others._

He climbed up the mountain that had protected the kups. The flat battlefield had turned into a landscape of turrets and mounds, thanks to Auno and Onua. Mostly to Auno, who tried to create one mound and intead created five. There were also pools of dirty water here and there, thanks to Ilag. Some looked quite deep.

And of course, the wind in the meanwhile was so strong that he had to grab at the earth with his hands to not be thrown off.

He had barely reached the top of the mountain, when a dark, deep voice resounded through the room.

"_**There you are! Toa of Light!"**_

Takanuva took a second to realize who was talking, and it was a second too much. A dark tendril eveloped him, and he was jerked off his feet and into the air.

Tahu gave Ilag one sharp kick, sending the Leehar of Water rolling down the mound he was on. He had managed to place only one attack, but it had been a powerful one, and it had been enough. The Leehar of Water was now nothing more than a piece of carbon.

_One down, _he thought gleefully. But it didn't last long, because in that moment, he was hit by an elemental disk launched by Nokama, and he found himself sprawled in a pool of mud. A second later, Nokama was on him, hear weapon pointing at his back.

"Say good... aaagh!" Tahu had raised his body temperature so much that Nokama was forced to jump away. He rolled to the side and pointed his own weapons at Nokama.

"No, Tahu! What are you doing?" Vakama yelled from the other side of the room, battling Nuju and Onewa at the same time. He kept defending blow after blow, but couldn't find the courage to react.

"I just want to stun her, I won't..."

"NO!" Vakama immediately freed himself of Nuju and Onewa and jumped at Tahu's side, hitting his arm the moment he fired. A rocket started from Tahu's weapons and shot to the side, searing Lewas's shoulder as it passed by. The Toa of Air lost control from the unexpected blow and crashed to the ground, where Auno was ready to give him the rest. Luckily, Onua was nearby to help.

"**Are you insane?" **Tahu yelled, turning to Vakama. But the Toa Metru had already put an arm on Tahu's throat and pushed him against a wall.

"I won't let you hurt Nokama!" Vakama snarled.

"You idiot! I was not going to kill her, I was..."

Another disk, Ice this time, hit the ground below them, causing the two Toa to slip down the now icy surface right into a pool of muddy water. Akapok saw this, and istantly came running to freeze the surface of the pool. Tahu sensed the danger and scrambled out. Just a second before the surface of the small pool became hard and shiny. Tahu could se Vakama's red shape hammering against the surface, straining to get out. He was obviously trying to use his fire, but the water extinguished his flame at every try.

Cursing, Tahu ran back to help him. But, barely a step later, one of Makuta's tendrils had smashed into him and was making him sail against Takanuva, with the intention of smashing both of their skulls against each other. And he would have probably made it, hadn't it been for Tahu's Hau Nuva. The Great mask immediately raised a shield around both of them. And Lewa, spotting the danger, created an air cushion right between the two Toa. The two shields came together with a loud clunk and Tahu felt his whole body shake despite the protection, but he managed to keep the shield up.

Takanuva's free hand started emitting a soft glow. Before Makuta could do anything, he had pressed it hard against the tendril. The tendril sizzled and jerked as if in pain, and Takanuva used the short moment of freedom to free his staff and send a small streak of light at Makuta, who raised a tendril to protect himself from the incoming laser. It burned a hole through it, but after that, it was gone.

Angrily, Makuta shifted all his attention to Takanuva, letting Tahu drop on the ground. The red Toa landed right at Utahops feet, who greeted him with a kick so powerful it was a miracle it hadn't broken all his ribs.

"We're losing ground!" Lewa yelled from somewhere near the top of the room.

"I know!" Onua said, trying to trap Auno by twisting hard earth around him. "We're two elements short!"

"One," corrected him Kopaka, coming nearby to freeze the binds that held Auno. He was panting. "Tahu brought down Ilag."

"It would've been better if he brought down Utahop first," Onua commented. Then he quickly turned back to Auno because the latter was freeing himself using brute force.

A tendril came smashing right between them, knocking them off their feet and freeing Auno. A second later, Takanuva appeared, now free, and cut it off the rest of Makuta with a blade of light. Makuta screeched in pain, but Takanuva's glory lasted little when out of the mutilated arm shot three new tendrils.

"If Pohatu was here, we'd be hearing a 'Figures!' by now," Takanuva muttered, dodging the three, brand new snakes of darkness.

"Brothers!" called Tahu from the top of a mountain, clutching painfully at his side and battling off three Hordika at once. "Vakama..."

"Where is he?" Onua asked.

"Beneath the frozen lake!" Tahu answered.

"I go," Kopaka told Onua, leaving the Toa of Earth to deal with the Leehar of Earth and Utahop, who had appeared from apparently nowhere. He quickly found the iced lake. The water beneath the suface was evidently boiling, but it wasn't quick enough to melt the ice. With a flick of his sword, Kopaka sent it flying to pieces. Vakama emerged gasping and spluttering, and hurried to get out before Akapok could freeze him in again. Kopaka noticed the Leehar of Ice, standing right on top of them, but not doing anything. He felt once again a cold rage invade him, but discarded it for the moment and turned to Nokama, who had been trying to aim at him with her disk.

"No wait!" Vakama interrupted him. "Go help Tahu, I'll take care of her."

Kopaka looked at him oddly, but scrambled up to Tahu nontheless. He was already halfway up the mound, when another, much more powerful earthquake hit them. More than one of the turrets toppled over, one of them burying Onewa beneath itslef, and knocking everyone except the two Toa of Air and the two Toa of Earth off their feet. Kopaka rolled back down the hill and into Nokama. When he was up again, he saw distinctly a small, charred shape roll down from another mountain that had accidentally been risen by Auno.

For a second, it seemed as if the battle had frozen as Utahop realized what it meant. The only thing left was the howling of the wind, which was now strong enough to carry away a Matoran, and the sound of the two Toa of Air crashing against each other and moving apart. Kopaka's face hadn't recovered from the treatment he had been given, and this time, Ilag wasn't just frozen in a block of ice.

But Utahop did not go berserk. Not right away.

He moved over to Ilag, barely touching her as if afraid she would disappear. For a moment, he just stayed there, muttering her name over and over. Then, as the truth dawned into his mind, he let out a terrible howl...

"ILAG! ILAG NO!... No..."

...and started crying.

"Oh frell," Vakama muttered.

"Ilag... Ilag... no... Ilag... my Ilag..."

"Really," Kopaka agreed. He glanced at Tahu. The red Toa still hadn't seen what had happened, busy as he was fighting Onewa, Nuju and Matau.

A low growl made Kopaka turn around. Utahop was shaking with rage, his fists clenched, a mad, homicidial glow in his eyes.

"**TAHU!**" he bellowed. Tahu turned around to face him, and spotted Ilag's body.

"You... you killed her!" Utahop spluttered, his anger blocking out the words.

"Yep," Tahu answered clamly. At that, Utahop seemed to lost it all. He let out a roar that would've been the pride of a Muaka, and charged at Tahu, Rahkshi staff raised and aiming at the red Toa, shoving the Hordika out of his way to reach him.

Kopaka found himself quietly wishing Tahu good luck, and the he raised his shield to parry Nokama's incoming attack.

XXXXX

Pohatu and Gali stumbled out of the maze through the very opening they had first entered the complex. Both Toa were so tired they could barely stand on their feet. The three days with barely any rest were paying off, and even if they didn't know it, they had just run through a tunnel that they had taken one day to march through in barely half an hour.

"There... you're safe... now..." Pohhatu panted, dropping to his knees.

"Toa? Are you laright?" Hewkii asked in worry as Gali too, let herself fall to the floor. The Toa of Water smiled.

"Sure, just a bit... tired," she muttered. The world around her was spinning, maybe she was more than just a 'bit' tired.

"We should go back," she added.

"What?" Hahli squealed. "But you'll get yourself killed!"

"Ther others... are counting on us..." Gali mumbled, holding her head to keep the spinning out. "I'm the only one... who knows the codes of the Tikohl in need... of a quick exit... the Tikohl is much nearer than this exit..."

"Don't fret, sister," Pohatu said, placing an arm on her shouled. "We'll make it back in time. It's still at least half an hour to sundown, and the Tikohl is also neared to this exit than the room. We won't need..."

"I can't run at that speed again," Gali admitted, shoving Pohatu's hand away. "We have to go back now."

Before Pohatu or the Matoran could protest, she was already pushing herself up. But as she came to her feet, the world suddenly spun harder than ever, while a black veil laid itself on her eyes. She stretched out her hand for balance, but found nothing, and collapsed.

"Gali!" shouted Pohatu, reaching out to catch her. He managed to do so, but then, he too gave in to the tiredness and slumped to the ground.

"Mata Nui!" gasped Onepu. "What have they been through?"

"Do you think the other Toa are also in these conditions?" Matoro asked worriedly, noticing perhaps for the first time the marks on the Toa's bodies.

Kotu seemed on the verge of tears. "Stupid, stupid Toa!" she cried. "There was no need for all of this! We're just five stupid Matoran!"

"We have visits," Jaller interrupted them, eyeing the woods at the base of the volcano. The other Matoran turned around. Cat-like and wolf-like creatures were appearing everywhere, and all of them were starting at the Toa with a greedy glow in their eyes.

"Stand back!" shouted Hewkii, clenching his hands into fists. "Don't get near or..."

_-Don't worry, little one, it's not you that we want- _a scarred looking red wolf said.

"Ihar," Kotu whispered.

_-No- _a Po-Ihar with a hollow voice said, coming nearer. _-It's the Toa that we want-_

"The Toa?" Hahlsi asked. The seven Matoran instictually retreated, coming together as the Ihar advanced.

_-Yes. Those traitors of blood, helpers of the Makuta and the Leehar!- _another Ta-Ihar said, baring his teeth as he did so.

"No," Hewkii said, shaking his head and backing away until he reached his Toa, as if to shield him with his body. "No!"

_-Don't test my patience- _the scarred Ta-Ihar said, coming yet closer. _-If you don't move by yourself, I will make you!-_

Hewkii bit his lip, but shook his head hard. Hahli glanced at Jaller. The captain of the guards stared steadily into the Ihar's eyes, but otherwhise didn't move or do anything. The scarred Ihar's eyes flashed angrily at them.

_-Then you don't leave me any choice- _he said. The spot on his forehead flashed, and Hewkii felt a strong power invade his mind and take control of it. Before he knew it, he was obediently leaving Pohatu's side and joining the Ihar rows. The scarred Ihar turned to the other Matoran.

_-Move- _he ordered them. To make it clear that they didn't have the choice, two or three Ihar walked up to them and nudged them towards the group where Hewkii already was. Then they were pushed away. Hahli just had the time to shoot the Toa one last, terrified glance before an Ihar moved to block her view, leaving her to wonder where they were being brought.

Back at the tunnel entrance, Pohatu opened his eyes just in time to see the group of Ihar drag the Matoran away. With some effort, he moved his head around to see that they were surrounded by Ihar. The imminent danger rang a bell in his mind, but could not dissipate the haze that had invaded his brain, nor the exhaustion he felt. He had burned his last reserve. It was only with great effort that he could push himself up on his elbows and bend over Gali to try and shake her awake.

"Gali... Gali, wake up!" he said, his voice cracked. "We're surrounded, wake up!"

_-There's no point in fighting, Toa Pohatu- _the scarred Ihar said. _-We can tell that you have no energy left-_

Pohatu looked up at him. "Listen, I know what you think, but..."

_-Quiet!- _the Ihar commanded, the words hitting Pohatu so physically he must have the Power of Turning Spoken Words Into Power as a second mask power. Pohatu found himself sprawled on the ground, he hadn't known it was possible.

_-We've had enough talks, Toa- _another Ihar said, all his teeth bared and growling. _-Now we can finally take our revenge.-_

The scarred Ihar barked at those behind him, and some of these proceeded to bring out a rope and tie Pohatu and Gali tightly up, making knots so complicated that they would've made a sailor envious. Power of Telekinesis, no doubt.

_-What do we do with them?- _a rugged Onu-Ihar asked.

Scarry seemed to smile. -_-We kill them, of course, in the most horrible way for their type. The water Toa, for example, can be thrown in that lava pit that just formed in the original Ta-Kavi. Make sure she feels the heat well though, first.-_

"No..." started Pohatu, but received once again a hard blow in response. Since nobody had spoken, he discarded the theory of the "Mask that Makes Said Things True".

_-Kal won't be too fond of it- _a Ga-Ihar commented. _-She said she wanted to kill the akita herself.-_

_-We'll make sure to bring her stony here- _the scarred one said. _-He looks a lot like Utahop, and I'm sure he did his part in the killing-_

Oh no. Everything but not being considered to be like Utahop!

_-What do you plan for him?- _the Ga-Ihar asked.

_-Think. What is it that Toa of Stone hate and fear most?-_

_-Water- _a Po-Ihar answered.

_-And where does Kal live at the moment?-_

_-Next... next to the Mihallala river- _the Ga-Ihar answered, an excited glow filling her eyes and voice as she realized what the scarred one mant.

The moment he head that name, Pohatu started sweating cold.

The Mihallala, the greatest whitewater River on Miko Nui, that ran through steep canyons and dropped down several waterfalls before reaching the sea.

The Mihallala, whose calmset waters were a risky adventure area fory young Ihar, completely prohibited to kups.

The Mihallala, that even Gali feared at its most dangerous points.

The Mihallala, the river of doom.

* * *

I WANT FIVE BONUS REVIEWS BECAUSE OF HOW VAKAMA ACTS! 

And yes, cheesy ending, I know.

Anyway, thanks to Regrem Erutaerc (glad you think so about the details) and to Magdalain-Sayian-Toa (Pmed you) for reviewing. And now I have a question to those who are so kind and leave reviews here:

How many times do you hit the last page? Because there's something that strikes me as odd. I know that not everyone has time to leave reviews, and, after the ridiculously long delays (2 years I'm writing this story? OMG...) don't want to anymore. So I made a point to write this to the end (including next part) with or without reviews, otherwhise I won't be able to sleep with it.

Now, I understand that the 1405 hits for the first chapter are also people who pass by, look, and say: oh, so boring! BUT: what's with the 28 on the last page? Are those people who come by, check the last page: oh, so boring! I'm so not reading this from the beginning. Or are those my few reviewers that check it 14 times each? I might hit it once or twice to check that everything is ok, but never 28 times...

Oh, one last thing. I would recommend you to check my reviews page and reading that brand new review for chapter one. Just yesterday, I recieved an e-mail: congrats! You just got a new review! Me: Really? Yay!

Then I read what the review was about.

Me: WTF? O.o

According to that review, I'm now the holder of the 37th of 538 objects, the Beast's Resolve, and am the only person in the world who knows what to do should the pieces ever come together.

BUT, I'm not angry at him/her, nor am I going to report it, because they didn't spam me, and, in all honesty, I find this quite amusing, and the text interesting. What leaves me a bit weirded out is who got the other 537 objects and why exactly did that reviewer/spammer have to choose me for this. (How did he even know that I existed?)

LoL, the mysteries of the web...


	25. Ticking the Battle Away

**ThingthatmeansthatIstatethatI'mnothteownerofBionicle: **I don't own Bionicle.

**Ticking the Battle Away  
**

Lewa swerved brusquely to bring himself close to Awel, who in turn changed direction so that the two Toa were nearly face to face. Closer and closer they came, until at the last second, Awel swerved to the right, Lewa to the left, avoiding collision by a matter of millimeters.

"Give up, Lewa!" Awel called. "I'm the better windflyer!"

Lewa smiled at this and shot at him again, so fast that Awel could just get away. A sudden blow from the side hit him as he passed the Leehar of Air, but he easily regained his balance and then turned to face Awel again.

"Might be, but you aren't any nearcloser to have me smashdashed than at the beginning of this battle fight!" he called while whizzing through the air.

"We'll see that!" Awel said, and shot at him, summoning a strong gust of air that sent Lewa flying half a bio to the right before he could counteract it. He was about to turn around and face Awel, but found the Leehar of Air flying along with him, only inches away, wearing an odd smile on his face.

Lewa tried to swerve at him, but another strong gust pushed him back, and he felt his right hand grate against the wall. He turned his head in alarm, he hadn't expected that.

Another gust, and Lewa could just avoid smashing against the wall. Then another, another and another, forcing Lewa to pull out all his abilities as a windrider and skill as a Toa in to avoid crashing and toppling to the ground. Annoyed, Awel flew right at him, with the intention of pushing him against the wall. Without thinking twice, Lewa let himself drop below the Leehar of Air, leaving Awel to do a half loop to avoid flying headfirst into the wall.

Lewa slowed down and waited for Awel. He wasn't sure who really was the better windflyer, but he knew who was the most tired one.

_And that's me, _he thought. It wasn't only him, he could see it on his Toa brothers too. Most of them had started to stumble more than run, and more of their opponent's blows struck home. Only Vakama conserved most of his initial strength, but he was too worried about hurting his own brothers to really be much of a help. He couldn't blame him, but still...

He swerved again as Awel came flying from the top, trying to hit him from above this time. This was not going to work. Both of them had known it from the beginning, but it _was _much more fun this way. Still, he had to think up of something new if he wanted to defeat Awel.

Suddenly, he saw Toa Kopaka jump through the air, trying to reach a Turaga-Hordika that was straying off into Tahu's direction. As he jumped, Lewa saw him lose his balance in midair as a gust caught him, and land much further than he had meant to. On his face, what was more.

_Ooops, _Lewa thought. Looked like they had lost control of the strength of their winds, if they could already half-lift a Toa. He couldn't afford speeding up his winds any more,.

Or could he? A sudden idea formed in his mind. If he could get the winds to become strong enough to lift him without his katanas as gliders, then he would have two new weapons on his side! A smile stretched on his face.

Awel was coming again. Lewa avoided once again the attack, and then shot at the twelve-faced walls that surrounded the chamber they were in, flying along them so fast he was barely more than a blur, summoning winds to blow parallel to the walls as he went, just strong enough to carry him. Normally, he could've created them in a matter of seconds, but he didn't want one of his brothers to get sucked in by accident.

Awel observed the flying Toa for a couple of seconds, then smiled as if he had understood the idea and dived into the howling winds.

Lewa laughed in delight as his speed reached levels so high that everything blurred together. A bit more, and he would be able to take his katanas out of place and let himself be carried by the winds. He searched around for Awel, but couldn't see him anywhere. Where had the air Leehar gone?

And then he saw him, out of the corner of his eye, dashing along the same currents as he, on the opposite side of the room. He was catching up with him, fast. Lewa smiled, he was going to have a surprise.

And then Awel was just a few bios behind him, and Lewa's smile faded away.

Awel had had the same idea as him, with an extra: he already **was **flying without his gliders and he had switched his weapons to resemble those of a Lehrak, the Rahkshi with the power of poison.

And the winds still weren't strong enough to carry Lewa.

"Surprised, Toa-hero?" Awel shouted at him. "Didn't you know that I'm verymuch featherlighter than you? I was builtmade for airsoaring! You are a heavyclumsy groundwalker to me!"

He was moving in,fast, staff at the ready. Lewa tried to speed up the winds to carry him away, but Awel was faster. He tried to fly out of the storm he had created by realised with horror that he was moving to fast to do so. He looked back at Awel. Only three bios away. He was doomed...

Unless...

The idea scared him, but it was his only way out. The wind would keep him up for a second, and he could try and stab Awel during that time. He readied his katana-wings so that they could be pulled out of place with a snap, and let the wind carry him, waiting for Awel.

Two bios.

Could he really do this? A moment of hesitation would mean his doom. He clutched his gliders tighter.

One bio.

Suddenly, the image of Kishro, mutilated, unable to climb, run, see or breath properly anymore, planted itself in his mind. He **could **do it. He gripped his katana's even tighter.

Half a bio...

And suddenly, Awel was on him. With a shout, Lewa snapped his Katana's out of place and stabbed out.

The green flash of the Rahkshi staff.

The red of the blood.

A sharp pain in his shoulder.

Lewa cried out as something bore into his body. He didn't see where he was going, he couldn't stop themselves from crashing against the wall.

Both Toa toppled to the ground, spinning as they fell. The crash came incredibly hard, and then darkness overtook them.

On the ground, the wind that had been thrashing till that moment stopped so suddenly that the Toa nearly lost their balance at the sudden change. Kopaka paused a moment to steady his footing, then ran after the Hordika again, trying to freeze the ground at its feet to stop it, but without success. He tried creating a wall of ice in front of the fugitive, but the Hordika just shattered it. Well, what had he expected? After all he _was _chasing after Nuju.

Until the Ihar had been there, the two species had let them alone, fighting against each other and ignoring the fights around them.

But now...

Kopaka had taken over the role of keeping the Hordika from annoying the other Toa, but realized now that he should have asked Lewa do do his part too. His legs felt heavier with every step he took. His breath came in short gasps.

Another earthquake cut the chase short. A rumble, and the ground beneath them suddenly stopped existing. The mound crumbled and then sank into the crevasse that had just formed, dragging Kopaka and Nuju along with the falling earth, unable to do anything against it.

Kopaka saw the edge whiz by and over him, and the air become solid wall. Thinking fast, he yanked his sword into the wall before him. Pebbles and earth rained over him, but his blade held and his fall was cut short.

He looked around to see what had happened with Nuju. The Hordika of Ice had somehow managed to cling to the opposite wall, but seemed to be stuck there. Ah well, that wasn't a problem. As far as it concerned Kopaka, he could stay there until he got his right state of mind back.

"Auno! I want you to close that crevasse now!"

Maybe not.

Auno's face appeared over the edge, grinning at them. Cursing, Kopaka pulled his blade out of the earth and started climbing back up the wall. He'd take care of Nuju once above.

He raised his hand to dig his sword into the earth above himself, and struck metal.

His eyes went wide. The floor of that room must be than two bios thick!

And then the walls started moving against each other, Kopaka and Nuju trapped in the middle. Kopaka tried to create handholds of ice, but what he had already experienced happened again: those walls couldn't be attacked by elemental powers. He tried to create an ice ramp, but Akapok blasted it.

"NO!"

A rumble, and the walls started moving away from each other again. Onua counteracting Auno's powers with his own, but that wouldn't do any good if he couldn't get out.

"Get away you!" came Auno's voice, and once again the walls started moving against each other. And then away again. Beneath the strain, the walls started cracking, huge pieces of earth raining down towards the bottom. Nuju looked around madly, fear written in his animalesque eyes. Ironically, the solution on how to get out was there, in his mask of telekinesis. Pity he couldn't use it, and wouldn't help him anyway.

And then he didn't have anymore time to think about it, because in that moment, Kopaka saw clearly Akapok raise his Rahkshi staff, aiming at where Onua stood.

And then the walls started closing on each other at an alarming speed.

"NO! No I'm still in here!" Nuju cried. As if the Leehar would care. Perhaps now he would review his decision of choosing the Leehar's side. Too bad it was too late anyway.

And then, as if to remind him he was there, the Heerole around Kopaka's neck became so cold that it burned. Kopaka clutched at it. He had completely forgotten that he still had the four Ilsao. A sudden idea blazed in his mind. If he could turn Nuju into a Toa...

He started to calculate the probabilities of this idea to work, but stopped himself. It was all or nothing. Without giving himself time to think otherwise, he pushed himself off the wall, aiming at Nuju's back.

For a second, he feared he wouldn't make it. Tired as he was, he hadn't managed to propel himself as far as he wanted. And here it was the approaching walls that saved him, literally bringing Nuju at his reach. Kopaka grasped at the Hordika, the rest of his body dangling in midair.

"What are you doing? Get off me!" Nuju tried to shake him off, clawing viciously at the Toa of Ice, who was fumbling with something around his neck. Damn, the idiot was going to drag both of them to the depths of the crevasse! He clawed at the Toa again, but Kopaka had found what he was looking for, and slammed the Ilsao onto Nuju's heartlight, willing it to turn Nuju back into a Toa.

Nuju let out a shriek of pain as the energy of the Ilsao invaded him, and lost his grip on the wall. Furiously, Kopaka willed the transformation to happen faster, even faster. He didn't think of what could happen. All he cared of was that if he didn't turn Nuju back into a Toa fast, they were both going to crash at the bottom of the crevasse... if the walls didn't close on the first.

"Come on..." he grumbled. Nuju was already more than half himself. But they were falling too fast, and the gap between the walls was too narrow...

And then finally...

"Kopaka?"

Nuju was gazing down at him, looking lost.

"Get us out of here!" Kopaka shouted. Nuju quickly grasped the situation and concentrated, making them speed towards the opening above like a cork that whizzes to the surface when released underwater.

And yet they were still too slow. Rocks kept raining on them, so that Nuju had to concentrate to his maximum to avoid them all, slowing them down. Kopaka could already feel the earth grate on this side, telling him that it was late. Too late.

He scanned the surface, looking for Akapok. He **had **to release Onua from Akapok's power, they didn't have enough time to reach the surface without help!

Kopaka spotted the Leehar of Ice and, clinging to Nuju with one hand, trapped him in a huge block of ice with a flick of his sword. It didn't last much longer than it had for himself, but at least Onua was free of Akapok's power. Kopaka saw Onua's expression of dismay, and the Toa of Earth quickly concentrated to enlarge the gap again.

Akapok tried to zap Onua again, but Kopaka was quick to place an ice wall between the two, so that the curse simply rebounded.

A cry of pain, and Kopaka shifted his view to see Utahop beat the living daylight out of Tahu. Then, a powerful kick sent the red Toa flying to the edge of the crevasse. Utahop was on him in a split second, thanks to his Mask of Speed, and started pounding on him again, not giving the red Toa a chance to react.

"Deflect those!" Nuju yelled in panic. A rain of icicles was falling on them. Kopaka willed some away, but by then they were out of the gap and rocketing in the room.

The sound of gurgling water reached Kopaka's ears. It was coming from the crevasse.

"Close it!" he shouted at Onua. He needn't have, the Toa of Earth had heard it long before him and was already closing the gap.

With a grunt, Tahu pulled up his legs and kicked Utahop as hard as he could. His legs shook from the shock, but he managed to heave the Leehar nonetheless. He caught a glimpse of Utahop's surprised face as he passed over him, and then the Leehar disappeared in the crevasse.

Tahu rolled back on his feet, clutching his left arm. "Close that damned crevasse!" He yelled at Onua. The Toa of Earth shot him a glance redoubled his efforts to seal the crevasse. Within seconds, it wasn't there anymore.

The Toa Nuva and the Toa Metru of Ice landed, but they didn't get a chance to rest, because at that moment, Auno attacked them, trying to raise a huge amount of earth and then let it fall on the Toa. At the same time, the two remaining Hordika appeared out of nowhere.

Onua jumped in action to stop Auno, using his own power to counteract the earth Leehar's, but the ground beneath his feet was suddenly frozen, making him slip and lose concentration. The earth toppled over him, burying him alive.

Kopaka had darted to face the two Hordika, leaving behind a shocked Nuju. Two disks shot at him. One he dodged, the other he froze in midair.

A glint behind him. Kopaka spun around and saw Onewa aiming for his flank, teeth bared. He spun again, and his shield made contact with Onewa's head. The Leehar sank to the ground. Another movement. Matau trying to pounce on him. Kopaka made to spin his sword around but stopped a split second before impaling the Turaga of Air. Luckily. But he had lost time and now Matau was on him, ready to launch his spinner, a maniacal smile on his face.

A thick column slammed into the Hordika, sending him flying through the air. He landed on his feet, but Nuju seized him again with the Mask of Telekinesis and tossed him away. Then he held a hand out for Kopaka to grab.

And Kopaka would've taken it, hadn't one of Makuta's tendrils come down in that moment, hitting the Toa Metru of Ice square in his stomach and pulling him away. Seeing Takanuva jump towards his Turaga, Kopaka turned back to things nearer to him.

Tahu was battling Auno, waving his left magma sword like mad to create walls of fire to surround the black Leehar. But his attack were imprecise, and Auno always found a gap out. Kopaka frowned. What was the idiot trying to prove using only one hand?

Suddenly, Auno cane thrashing through the newest flame walls, having abandoned his powers and resolving with brute strength. He slammed against Tahu, slamming the Toa against the ground. Tahu grunted, and his face contorted to a single mask of pain. He didn't react when Auno hit him hard in the stomach, and the proceeded to hit him with a quakebreaker.

Something was definitely wrong, it hit Kopaka. Tahu was the last one to show pain, or let himself be treated like that. Kopaka made to step towards him, when a wall of ice suddenly barred his way. Kopaka willed it away, just to find another, and then another and another. And even through they didn't stop the ice Toa for long, they slowed him down considerably.

And distracted him.

Had the walls been anything but ice, it would've worked. But this way, Kopaka saw the tendril in the reflection of the ice before it reached him. Annoyed, Kopaka jumped aside at the last second and froze the tendril solid. Then he sent a huge block of ice crashing on Akapok, willed the rest of the walls away, and finally reached Tahu.

Auno had discovered a new game. He had one of his quakebreakers running, and was about to use it on Tahu like it was a huge motor saw. Kopaka made to use his powers, but Tahu preceded him. Raising his left arm, he sent flames lunging at Auno's face, burning his eyes. Auno howled in pain and jumped away, and Kopaka finished the job. Then, once Auno frozen, he turned back to Tahu, who was slowly standing up, panting.

And Kopaka finally saw **why **Tahu had been fighting with only one hand, and been unable to react. His right arm was badly broken. Kopaka could see splinters of his bone structure through the red Toa's armor. Tahu hand probably fallen on it during the fight, and that also explained the cry of pain he had heard while in the crevasse. Tahu had probably had it snapped in two by Utahop.

"Utahop?" Kopaka asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, in a moment when I was distracted by Onewa," Tahu said, grimacing. "That damned Mask of Speed of him..."

A rock next to them moved and rolled away, and seconds later, Onua burst out of the earth mound Auno had trapped him under.

"Where's Auno?" he asked.

"That statue," Tahu answered, pointing at the frozen Leehar of Earth. Loud creaks could already be heard. It seemed as if the Leehar was trying to free himself with brute force.

"We'd better finish him," Onua pointed out. Tahu nodded.

"I might temporarily not be in charge, but I have an idea," the red Toa stated. "Onua, pack as much earth as you can on him. Kopaka, get ready to come into action after I melt it. Ready? Then go!"

"Hold it!" Kopaka brusquely stopped him before he could charge in. He placed a palm over Tahu's wounded arm, and froze it solid, keeping it firm and protecting it from more damage. He also cooled down Tahu's arm as much as he could without really freezing it, literally numbing the pain out. Tahu looked at his new "ice glove" with the expression of someone who doesn't know what to think.

Kopaka completed his work with a dry: "Try not to heat it too much."

Tahu muttered something that sounded pretty much like a "Thanks".

"Was that Utahop?" Onua asked.

"Yes," Tahu snapped, irritated at being asked the same question twice. "Will we go before Auno frees himself?"

Onua nodded, and commanded the earth to envelope Auno from head to toe. When nothing more of the black Leehar could be seen, Tahu heated the earth with his one hand, until it became lava. Then he stepped back and let Kopaka freeze it, turning it into stone, material that Auno could not control.

"He's not getting out of that," Tahu said.

"No, he'll run out of air long before that," Onua said.

"He already has," Kopaka stated. "I froze his lungs."

Nobody said a thing, and Kopaka turned back to the battle between Takanuva and Makuta behind him.

"We need to bring him down, we can't have that much time left," Kopaka stated.

"But how?" Onua asked.

"We'll need all six our powers," Kopaka explained. "We have to... watch it!"

Makuta had suddenly shifted his attention towards them, sending five tendrils shooting in their direction. The three Toa jumped to the side, seeking protection behind rocks or small slopes.

"We'll have to each stand for our element!" Kopaka shouted, to make himself be heard over the thrashing of Makuta's tentacles. "I'll stand for ice. Onua, you'll have to stand for earth, go and tell Nuju that we need Onewa and Nokama on our side and..."

He jumped to the side as the tendrils attacked him again, their tips digging into the floor where he had been standing a second before. He rolled on his feet and went on giving orders.

"...and Matau too, possibly!"

"Shortly, I have to tell him to snap the Turaga back to themselves," Onua answered, looking over his shoulder to make sure Makuta wasn't attacking him again.

"Yes, now go!" Kopaka turned towards Tahu. "Tahu, you..."

"I'll stand for fire, no problems," Tahu interrupted, sending a flame at a tendril that was passing over him.

"No!" Kopaka saw Tahu's head spin towards him in surprise, as if he had said the unspeakable. And in a way, he had, or was about to say it. "No, I'll have Vakama do that!" Tahu's expression changed from a surprised to and enraged one as he said this. Checking over his shoulder that nothing was coming, Kopaka brought himself nearer to the Toa of Fire.

"If it's because of my arm..." Tahu started.

"You can't fight," Kopaka cut him short.

"Stop me!" Tahu growled back. Kopaka grabbed his injured arm, breaking the ice in one point and squeezing it. Tahu yelled out in pain, and Kopaka quickly froze that part again.

"I'm your leader," he hissed. Tahu shot him a loath filled glance. "And I'm asking you to go look for Lewa. The wind has stopped for too long, have you though of what that meant?"

The hateful stare died away as quickly as it had come, and Kopaka saw that Tahu was fighting between the urge to get back into the fight and looking for Lewa. Finally, the red Toa seemed to decide himself.

"I'm only doing it for Lewa," he said. Kopaka nodded and let go of him, then spun around to slash at an incoming tendril.

XXXXX

Pohatu heard the river long before they reached it. It was always so. It was the rumbling of the water that distinguished the river. The sound of gallons and gallons of water thrashing down a steep, narrow canyon, dragging down the occasional trunks as they went. As for seeing it... well, one almost never saw it until they were right above it, or already inside it.

The Ihar were taking their time to march through the jungle. They weren't exactly slow, but they could have already reached the river if they had wanted to. It made Pohatu nervous. He could tell that the sun was slowly drifting towards the horizon, a clear sign that nightfall was coming.

"How much longer till the sun goes down?" he asked urgently. Nobody answered him.

"PLEASE! I have to know! The complex that was the Toa Leehars' base is about to collapse and be reclaimed by the ocean! When nightfall comes..."

_-Stop chattalking nonsense- _a limping Le-Ihar to his left said. _-Why should the complexmaze be buriedsunk by the ocean?-_

"The Leehar did this ritual inside it," Pohatu explained. "It involved the six Ilsao, six kups and..."

That was exactly the wrong thing to say. The Ihar all turned around to stare at him hatefully, and Pohatu had the feeling that the ropes that bound him tightened under some influence.

_-Six kups you say? Who were they? What did you do to them?- _a female asked him, baring her teeth menacingly.

_-If something happened to our kin...-_ another one said, eyes flashing dangerously.

"No! No it's not like you think! We were trapped in that ritual too. We..." Pohatu started.

_-Yeah right. Go and tell that someone else. We know your lies!- _a Ta-Ihar said. _-We know who you are. You are those who gave Kishro, Hoti, and the other four those collars. As a sign of 'friendship'!- _He spoke the word out scathingly, as if it were just a lie. _-And then, after they saved you from the Leehar, after their families died for you. What do you do? You come back here and kill them! One by one. And those who you can't kill you avenge yourself on your families. And in the meanwhile, you kill off another few just for fun!-_

"NO!" Pohatu bellowed. "No, we did none of this!"

_-If they were really your friends, why didn't you come to help them?- _the female Ihar said. _-Why didn't you come and prove that you and the others were two completely different people?-_

"We didn't know any of this!" Pohatu yelled. "Nobody warned us!"

_-If you were really their friends,- _the female Ihar continued. _-Why didn't you come to visit them or check if everything was okay time by time? Since you knew that the Leehar were still loose?-_

Pohatu felt like they had hit him. He didn't have an answer to that.

_-Tsk- _the second female said.

For a while, they walked without saying a word, Pohatu staring at the ground thinking the Ihar's words over. She was right, sadly. She was totally right. They had **known **that the Leehar were still loose, and still had a count to seal with the Ihar. They had **known **that sealing Miko Nui away from help meant an opportunity for the Leehar to finish what they had started, over a thousand years ago.

So why had they not gone to check if everything was alright? Mata Nui wasn't _that _far, after all!

The truth was that they had thought only of the Matoran and themselves for those last 25 years, only of rebuilding the city and having fun. They had assumed that their friends would tell them if there was any trouble. They hadn't though that perhaps they could **not **warn them as easily as that, just by sending them a message in thought speak.

After all, they had only seen long-distance telepathy be used between Ihar.

"Look," he said softly. "I know that we didn't act like we should have, but this is a totally different matter. Four of my brothers are inside that complex, determined to defeat the Leehar once and for all if it kills them. There are also our five Turaga in there, and they're... not in their normal state. I know you don't give a whiff about all of this, but that's not all that matters. Hoti and Sirkul..."

_-Hoti is dead- _the limping Ihar said bitterly.

"No, he's not. I believed so too though, at first. But if you don't want to believe it, then don't. Anyway, Sirkul is there, and he knows his way around the complex and how to outsmart the traps there. Those six kups I mentioned before... they're with him. And a Rahaga called Norik."

The fact that six kups could still be alive seemed to interest the Ihar, though they didn't really believe him, and Pohatu saw a glint of desperate hope in the first female's eyes.

_-Who?- _the second female Ihar asked. _-Who were the kups, what was their names?-_

"I don't know," Pohatu admitted, calling himself stupid for not asking Gali. "Gali found them, she should know."

_-Gali? The one we caught with you?- _the same female asked.

"Yes, that's her. But..."

But by then the Ihar had disappeared, probably in the direction where they had brought Gali. Pohatu looked after her sadly, hoping for her that Gali had indeed spotted one of her kups in that maze.

_-What else were you saying?- _the limping Ihar asked, now turning towards Pohatu. Pohatu now noticed that one of his eyes had a scar running through it. The light from it had gone. He also noticed that he had trouble breathing.

"Sirkul is going with the kups and the Rahaga to free the other Ihar," Pohatu quickly explained. "He knows where they are and how to get there. If he can't get out by nightfall..."

_-Then we'll never discoverknow if you're lying or not- _the limping Ihar said.

"Not only, but Nairof is trapped too! And Hoti!" Pohatu insisted. "They'll die among the others inside if they can't manage to get out! That's why I have to know how much time is left for them!"

The Le-Ihar seemed to think about it for a while, then he hissed something at his friends. Immediately, the seven Ihar that were escorting him stopped, but they did not untie him, and they made sure to place themselves all around him to make sure he didn't escape. The Le-Ihar trotted up to him.

_Wasn't he limping a second ago? _Pohatu thought.

_-Pohatu, I trustbelieve you- _he said, and from the tone Pohatu knew it was private thought-speak. _-And I never mindthought for a quickmoment that you guys could be behind all this. But the others saw a light-Toa, and six different Toa-heroes. If Sirkul doesn't turn up by tonight, you'll either have to run very quickfast or swim very hardstrong, because I won't be able to save you.- _The Ihar smiled. _-I never was an ashra.-_

_-You have till nightfall- _he added then, loudly. _-If Sirkul and Hoti don't turn up by then, you'll be submitted to your destiny.-_

_-And Kal won't speaktalk up for you- _he added privately.

"And Gali?" Pohatu asked.

_-She's on her own- _the Le-Ihar said darkly. Then he limped away.

"You were not limping a second ago," Pohatu pointed out. The Ihar grinned.

_-I **do **have the Power of Illusion- _he said.

"Wait a minute..." Pohatu suddenly remembered something the Po-Ihar they had first met had told them. His eyes flicked to the symbol on the top of the Ihar's head. _No, this can't be... or can it? _

"Kishro?" he asked in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the tree-loving, hyperactive green Ihar was the same on that was limping at his side right now.

_-Tsk. You can't even recognize you once friend,- _he said angrily, but Pohatu saw him wink at him.

_-It's ten minutes till nightfall, by the way.-_

Ten minutes.

Pohatu's head spun towards the direction of the complex, now hidden by the jungle from his view.

XXXXX

Vakama backflipped to avoid being flattened by one of Makuta's tendrils, the dove to the side before a stray spinner collided with his head.

He spun around to see who had launched the spinner at him, and spotted Nokama at barely a bio from him, wearing such a savage expression that he barely recognized her. He felt his heart sink. He found it impossible to believe that Nokama was actually attacking him. She, Nokama, that had always been the one with the least problems with her Hordika side, the one that had kept them all together even through those times.

Damn it. She didn't deserve it! **She **hadn't been the one to give in to her Hordika side, when they had been transformed a thousand years before. **He **had! He was the one supposed to be standing in her place, as a twisted monster capable only of killing! Not her!

Another of Makuta's tendrils straight at him. He dodged it. He couldn't go on like this! He was trying to avoid Makuta, hit Makuta, battle Nokama, and not hurt Nokama at the same time.

The Toa Nuva – and Nuju too -- thought he was being very stupid indeed. And he himself thought that too.

But he couldn't do otherwise. He had realised it during the split second he had seen her as a Toa, and even the fact that she was now a hideous monster couldn't change what he thought he had forgotten.

Even after all this time, he still loved her.

And so now he was trying to bring her back to sanity, though it appeared completely pointless. Whoever had spun this web in her mind had done a much better work then they had with him.

"Nokama!" He shouted at her. "Nokama it's me! Vakama!"

A glint of her own self seemed to pass through Nokama's eyes as she heard the name 'Vakama', but it was gone before Vakama could be sure of it. The blue Hordika pounced at him.

"Please Nokama. You already went through this! We all already went through this!" he cried, avoiding the attack. "Remember? We had just come back to Metru Nui... please tell me you remember about Metru Nui!"

Nokama laughed harshly, encircling him as she did so. "Of course I remember about Metru Nui! It's the island the Master of Shadows is planning to take control of! And **you **will not stop him!"

Vakama was growing desperate. He didn't know what to say any more. He had already tried everything, the Matoran, the Rahaga, the Toa... Nothing had worked.

"Nokama, please! You know that Makuta will only bring slavery and darkness..."

Matau had been snapped of it quite easily. Nuju had whacked him on the head and pointed out what he had become, as well as another few insults and a final comment about the fact that with Makuta he'd stay a monster forever, since nobody apart the Toa Nuva knew how to use the Ilsao. Or worse, they would've turned him yes, but in something even worse.

That had been enough for Matau, and the mention that the Matoran had nearly been hurt by the one who they had been tricked to believe would protect them, even if using some unorthodox methods, had done the rest.

But nothing seemed to breach Nokama's mind – or Onewa's, actually – nothing.

This time, three tendrils shot directly at Vakama. He jumped out of the way of the first, and made to flip over the second, but then Nokama was on him, clawing and biting at his body. Vakama cried out in pain.

"Nokama... Nokama please..." he pleaded, his arms raised to protect himself from Nokama's blows. He didn't try to counter her attacks. He felt broken. He loved her, and she didn't recognize him, she was even trying to kill him.

"Nokama..."

Nokama's teeth on his arm, gnawing at his armor, trying to pierce it. The claws of her twisted arm on his side. Her eyes flashing madly...

What he did next he did it out of sheer desperation, the idea had just popped up in his head. Summoning all his strength, he pushed her off himself, jumped to his feet, and pushed her against a wall. She tried to claw at him again, but he was quick to pin her arm against the hard earth behind her back.

And then he kissed her.

For a moment, he feared to have done exactly the wrong thing, for he could feel Nokama struggle against it, but then the Hordika's body relaxed and she kissed him back. And for a second, Vakama imagined being alone in the room, only him and Nokama, him bent over her and she embracing him with her free hand.

When their mouths parted, Vakama saw that the savage glow in Nokama's eyes was gone, and that a surprised expression had replaced the mad one she had worn till that point.

"Vakama?" she whispered.

He felt a jolt of excitement as he heard her call his name, but it was washed away as he remembered what he had just done, and realized that she might not be thrilled about it.

"Um, look, Nokama... what just happened..."

But Nokama was already kissing him again.

x

Kopaka dove to the side, aiming at Makuta as he did so. His attack struck home, but Akapok quickly undid it before trying to freeze Onua, and being stopped a split second before by a mini cyclone aimed at him by Matau.

Another attack, a sphere of shadows this time. Kopaka leaped away again, landed on a slope, and stumbled down. His legs had given away, he wouldn't be able to fight on for long.

Over him, he saw Nuju battling Onewa, still no further to 'converting' him than he had been at the beginning.

"Nuju!" he called. His Turaga shot him a short glance and shook his head to show that he wasn't making any progress.

Kopaka cursed. If they didn't get at least one of the two still savage Hordika on their side, the plan was going to fail miserably. And then...

"Heads up!" a voice screamed. Kopaka spun around, and saw Matau pounce on him. He raised his shield, but the Hordika was already on him and had flattened him against the floor. The incoming tendril caught Matau instead and pulled him away. Blaming himself for not keeping his guard up, Kopaka shot back up the slope to have a better view on Makuta.

He had barely reached the top of it when Takanuva dropped right in front of him, crashing to the ground and nearly sending him rolling down the slope again.

"I can't keep this up for long..." the golden Toa groaned. "Every time I cut one of those tendril, three grow back! I don't know what to do anymore!"

"Me neither," admitted Kopaka. "If Vakama fails bringing Nokama back to herself, our only chance will be to keep this fight up until the complex sinks, and drag Makuta down with us."

Takanuva smiled bitterly. He opened his mouth to ask something, but again a shadow ball came zooming at them, missing the Toa by a miracle and sending them flying through the air. Takanuva was caught by a tendril, while Kopaka crashed to the ground and was forced to roll to the side to avoid being flattened by another one. He looked up and saw it come down again. Then again and again. And all he could to was roll to one side or the other and hope that he wouldn't get hit...

"Kopaka!" Vakama and Nokama came running towards him. Vakama sent a flame at the tendril, causing it to recoil. A second later, three more came towards them, but Kopaka was on his feet already and the three Toa and Hordika could run safely behind a rock to hide.

"I'm back to myself," Nokama said hastily. "What do we have to do?"

Kopaka ignored the question and turned to Vakama. "Get into place, explain Nokama what she has to do and warn Matau. I'll tell Onua and try and do something with Onewa."

Then he jumped away from behind the boulder and sped towards the Toa of Earth. It was all or nothing, and they couldn't allow themselves to be picky.

"Onua! Get ready" he called out. The Earth Toa turned towards him and signed he had understood. Kopaka passed him and shot at Nuju.

"Nuju!" he panted. "You must get Onewa to fire a spinner at Makuta!"

"How?"

"We'll have only one chance, so it will be you to tell us when to fire. When you're ready, shout as loudly as you can and we'll fire!"

He went on, now looking for Takanuva, leaving Nuju to find a way on his own. Now it all depended on the Toa Metru of Ice and himself. If he didn't find Takanuva before Nuju's call, all would have been for nothing, and they would've found themselves without elemental powers.

He finally spotted Takanuva on top of a mound, sending spheres of light madly at the tendrils to stop these from seizing him.

"Takua!" he called, running to his side and helping him battle the tendrils. "At Nuju's signal, six of us will release all our elemental powers on Makuta. Once we have done that you must blast all light that remains inside you at Makuta. It doesn't matter what attack you choose, just do it. Clear?"

"Yes," Takanuva said shakily. He had never heard Kopaka talk that much. It made him understand how critical the situation must be.

"Go someplace where you're safe from Makuta, I'll cover you!" Kopaka continued. Takanuva nodded and ran away, leaving Kopaka to face Makuta alone.

_Come on Nuju_ Kopaka thought, freezing a couple of tendrils. But Makuta had realized by now how he could use the ice that covered his tentacles. Without bothering to free them, he swung them at the Toa of Ice, using the frozen end like a club. Kopaka jumped in the air and the frozen tendril passed beneath him, but another got him in midair and Kopaka was rocketed against the wall. Feeling woozy and having the air knocked out of him, Kopaka scrambled to his feet, gasping as he stumbled to his position.

_Hurry Nuju, hurry! _

And then he heard Tahu's voice, far more alarmed than he had hoped it would be.

"Kopaka! I found him! I found Lewa!"

Kopaka turned towards the voice to signal that he had heard.

He only saw the tendril when it was too late.

It caught him square in the abdomen, leaving him sprawled on the ground, unable to breath. He tried to gasp for air, but his throat was like blocked.

And then a spinner took off, Nuju cried out-

"GO! GO NOW! NOW! GO... AAAAGH!"

Kopaka wanted to tell Nuju to attack in his place, but saw that it wouldn't be possible. Makuta had grabbed him and was crushing him with a tendril. Onewa laid on the ground below, knocked out.

A flame shot from somewhere in the room, then came a spinner charged with water and one that brought a mini cyclone with him. Makuta roared in pain and dropped Nuju, who fell to the floor, unconscious. Ignoring the oppressive feeling on his chest, Kopaka struggled to get to his feet and aim at Makuta.

A crack appeared in the earth and surrounded Makuta. Onua's power. Now the only one missing was his...

He still couldn't breath, but crawled to his position nonetheless and pointed his sword at Makuta. A blast of ice shot at the Master of Shadow, all of Kopaka's power in it.

And it was then that Kopaka saw him. Akapok was standing right in front of him, a mocking smile on his face.

_No! Not him! Not **him!**_

Black and red stars were popping in front of his eyes, but Kopaka still saw clearly how Akapok raised his shield and blocked his attack, literally absorbing it.

_No... no..._ Kopaka tried to put more force into the blast, but his mind was hazy and his view blurred. And he still... couldn't...

BREATH!

His lungs finally filled with air, clearing his mind and view. Gasping, Kopaka pushed himself to his feet and increased the pression on his attack, trying to get past Akapok. But no matter what he did, the Leehar just stood there, the mocking smile on his face, annihilating all his efforts. Kopaka could already feel his strength wavering. Nuju, who could've helped him, was out cold. One by one, the other powers disappeared and then, his own elemental powers filed, and he collapsed to the ground, not one bit of energy left inside him.

They had failed.

He had failed.

Kopaka saw how Takanuva sped past him, staff at the ready. He wanted to tell him to stop, that it was pointless. To spare his energy to save himself, but his voice wouldn't come out.

He saw Takanuva send a huge, incredibly bright blast of light at Makuta. But they had not been six against Makuta, and so Makuta simply summoned an equally huge blast of shadow, and threw it at Takanuva's attack.

The two attacks met each other in midair and disappeared, as if they had never been there.

Takanuva fell to his knees, no more power left inside him.

Makuta laughed, ready to crush those annoying Toa once and for all.

And a huge, final earthquake shook the room.

It was nightfall.

* * *

:o 

I JUST INVENTED A NEW PAIRING! Well... sort of. :o

This battle dragged on for way too much (pant) i'm so glad it's over. I hope it wasn't too boring, at least...

I'm going to spare you the blah blah since you just had an incredibly long chapter.


	26. Nightfall

**Disclaimer: **Bionicle is not mine. However: Miko Nui, the Ilsao, the Ihar, the Leehar and many many names, though part of Bionicle in this fanfic, are.

**Nightfall**

Nightfall.

The sun had disappeared behind the trees and the sounds of the air had changed form the chirping of the birds to the humming of the insects. Some of the Ihar had fallen asleep, and even Pohatu had dozed off, if just for a short while.

Dusk had come, and still nothing happened. Kishro was growing restless, as were the other Ihar, and Pohatu once again began to fear for his life, though he was much more worried about Gali's fate. If he wasn't wrong, the original Ta-Kavi volcano was much faster to reach than the Mihallala river. The more he waited, the more the chances to rescue Gali thinned, and the more the chances that she had already been thrown into the lava pit grew. Pohatu scanned the forest continuously, hoping to see Sirkul, or Hoti, appear to tell them that they were safe, and so were many other Ihar and kups, and that the Toa Nuva had nothing to do with this story.

But Hoti and Sirkul did not appear, and Pohatu's heart fell.

_-Are you sure Makuta said nightfall?- _Kishro asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Pohatu confirmed.

_-Nightfall has come and still nothing happens- _the usual Ta-Ihar – he said to be called Inamo – said.

"Five more minutes!" Pohatu pleaded. "I'm sure..."

A sound from the tops of the trees attracted the Ihar's attention, and those who could scrambled up to see what was happening. All the others waited on the ground or hurried to the edge of the jungle. To Pohatu's surprise, Kishro was with them.

The green Ihar exchanged some 'words' with the other Ihar, then turned towards him.

_-Come- _he said with a smiled. Pohatu was about to point out that he was still tied up, but the Ihar who had bound him was already releasing his bonds.

_-You're under my responsibility,- _Kishro explained. _-And we have three other Ihar with the power of telekinesis, ready to trapsnare you if you decide to quickrun.- _He added with a smile.

It was only now, seeing Kishro limp before him, that Pohatu realized what had really been done to him. The limp might be an illusion, but the scar on the eye and the jagged breathing was not, and it was that, that stopped him from climbing up trees or running.

"Who did this to you?" Pohatu asked.

_-You- _the Ihar answered. Pohatu stopped dead on his tracks, feeling as if he had just been dumped a bucket of icy water on. Kishro noticed. _-No, not **you**. The one who posedplayed as you. And brotherfriend Lewa.-_

"Utahop and Awel?"

_-I don't know- _Kishro admitted.

"What? But --"

_-You can never knowtell when one is hidden by a figureillusion- _Kishro stated, smiling.

"That's what you think that happened?" Pohatu asked. "How they played that trick?"

_-I don't have any other smartidea- _Kishro said. _-Ah! There's the jungle limitend. I knew there was a near one around here. Now we'll be able to see...-_

A breathtaking sight med them as they walked out of the jungle.

The 'dead' part of the island, the one that Pohatu knew had been contaminated by Makuta, was covered by a dome of swirling black clouds, with ridges of red and purple that cast an eerie glow on the landscape before them, making it appear as if the dead tree stumps, the thorny bushes, and even the ground itself was covered in blood. Thunder rolled through the air, and a hot, dry wind blew across the island.

"Mata Nui..." Pohatu whispered. The Ihar seemed to have forgotten him. They were running up and down the place, exchanging whispers and news. An excited buzz filled the air, and many of them looked like Naming Day had come for them, instead of wearing expressions of terror and fear.

When the news finally reached Kishro, his face lit up, and he burst into laugher, jumping up and down the area.

"What's happening?" Pohatu asked. "Kishro, what's going on?"

_-The ocean!- _he explained. _-Voices traveljourney from one side of the island to the other! The ocean has awakened! She's thrashing and gurgling on our shores! She is coming to rinsewash away the evilbad that for so long has been the curse of this island!-_

And he broke into a laugh again, dancing and jumping on the ground and meaowing at the storm.

But suddenly, his laugh turned into a coughing fit, and he was forced to stop, coughing and wheezing like an old Ihar, because he had danced for barely more than half a minute. Pohatu stared at him, awe-struck. This couldn't... this could not... this could not be happening to Kishro! Kishro who sped up and down from trees and still managed to keep up with those who walked on the ground. Kishro, who didn't care if a way was more dangerous, as long as it was fun. Kishro... could not be pinned to the ground like any old Ihar!

It was like taking a windglider away from Lewa and tying him to the ground with a chain and saying: there, now fly... if you can. These are your limits.

Pohatu rushed up to the green Ihar.

"Kishro? Kishro, are you alright?"

_-Hey! Stay away from him!- _Before he could protest, Pohatu was dragged away from the green Ihar and under control again. Kishro coughed on for a while, and then looked up at Pohatu and gave him a sad smile.

_-It's ok... It's been like this for a while, I've gotten used to it-_

But his tone said clearly that he was **not** getting used to it.

"Kishro," Pohatu said, changing tone. "My friends are in there, and so are Hoti, Sirkul, and a lot of other Ihar. I understand how you can feel, this building having oppressed you for years and so, but there are living beings in there! And many of them can't breath underwater.

Kishro's smile faded away. Pohatu hated to blast his joy away like that, but they had to be realistic. What was happening here was not a gift from heavens, it was much closer to the end of the world.

And his friends were right in the middle of it.

XXXXX

Beneath the surface, the room was shaking under the power of the earthquake. Walls were cracking, rocks were rolling down the mounds of earth that had appeared during the battle. All around them, the place was menacing to fall and bury the Toa beneath itself.

Makuta turned to the Toa. "Well well well, little Toa, it seems as if your time is over. This place will collapse in a matter of minutes, and with you inside it."

"Yes..." Kopaka said, straining to raise his head. "But with you inside it as well."

Makuta roared with laugher. He pulled back his tendrils until Lhikan's body was back to normal, and he was still laughing when a dark glow surrounded him, hiding him from view. He looked up to the ceiling above and, still laughing, left his body. Like a dark cloud that gradually lifted itself in the air before shooting through the roof of the cavern, leaving the Toa beaten and helpless to their fate.

"Mata Nui damn you, Makuta," Kopaka whispered.

At that moment, Tahu came running towards them.

"Come here! I found Lewa but..." he stopped dead seeing his teammates and Turaga slumped on the floor, barely conscious, apparently unaware that the building was about to collapse on them. His team had just been brutally defeated. How could this had happened? He had heard what was going on, they had been on the winning side! Kopaka's plan – even if he was never going to admit it, was foolproof. There was no way Makuta could resist to the power of the six and those of a Toa of Light! But then, why were his teammates on the floor?

Pushing those questions aside for the moment, Tahu rushed at his teammate's sides, trying to pull them back to their feet. The room was still falling on them, if they didn't get out soon, they would all die.

"Come on, you great icicle, stand up," he growled at Kopaka, shaking him angrily. Kopaka answered with a groan and a feeble attempt to push himself up. Tahu left him, frustrated, and sped on to Takanuva, literally dragging him to his feet. "Stand up, Takua, there is no time to sleep! Heck, the place is about to fall on us, in case you haven't noticed!"

"Afraid, Toa of Fire?" a cool voice asked him. Tahu looked up to see Akapok standing slightly aside, staring calmly at the scene. The fact that, with all his team and friends beaten, Akapok was the only one standing, flared Tahu's anger, and the completely uninterested – even arrogant -- expression with which Akapok was observing the scene gave him the rest. Akapok resembled Kopaka too much to not spark Tahu's nerves, but unlike his teammate, Akapok didn't have any excuse for which Tahu couldn't wipe that look off his face.

"I'm going to show you if I'm afraid," Tahu snarled, charging at the Leehar of Ice and punching him right across his face with his left arm. Akapok tried to defend himself, but the recent events had left him just as drained as Kopaka, and he slumped to the ground. Tahu stared at him scathingly, saying. "That's for the first day I saw you face."

Then he rushed back to his teammates.

XXXXX

Outside, an outcry of wonder and surprised traveled through the Ihar groups. Something black, dense, was coming out of a mountain far away. The mountain had a flat top, so for a few moments, the Ihar thought that an old volcano was erupting. But then someone recognized the place, and whispers started traveling as the question formed. "What is that?"

An Ihar, old and battle-scarred, stared out at it for a few seconds, then turned to a figure besides him. -_Makuta?-_

"I fear so... yes, I can feel the darkness emanated from it."

The cloud hovered in the air for a few seconds, then seemed to choose a direction and dashed eastwards, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds.

At the same time, the ground that covered the maze began to crack.

_-Then your brothers...-_

The figure shook her head, not wanting to believe, not knowing what to answer. Although, deep inside, she knew that that cloud could mean only one thing...

The Ihar turned back to the cloud, not needing for her to answer.

After all, he did have the Power of the Suletu, the Great Mask of Telepathy.

XXXXX

"Come on! Come on! There's no time to sleep! We have to get out!" Tahu urged Nuju, who was waking up from his unconsciousness but was still a bit hazy. Leaving him to himself, Tahu moved up to Onua, who was already half-standing and struggling to get back on his feet.

"Onua, I need your help. I found Lewa, but he's in certain condition. And with only one arm..."

Onua nodded. "Show me where he is."

Tahu darted off, showing him the way through two mounds of earth and to a small, protected area behind them. When Onua got there, a surprising scene met his eyes. Lewa was lying on one side, a Rahkshi staff planted through his shoulder, still oozing a green liquid. On the other, was Awel, two windgliders going through his chest and coming out on the other side. Both Toa were covered in blood. Onua realized that only one person could've done that.

"Lewa..." Onua started.

"Was still clutching those windgliders when I found him," Tahu said impatiently. "Now do it!"

"What?" for a second, Onua didn't understand what Tahu meant.

"Get out the Rahkshi staff! Why did you think I called you?" Tahu said, exasperated. "And Lewa's gliders too... I can't pull them out..."

Onua approached Lewa, but suddenly stopped. "Tahu, if that's the Lerahk's staff..."

"I know!" Tahu snapped, suddenly angered at the black Toa. "You don't have to tell **me **that! But if you think I'm leaving him here..."

Onua raised his hands as if to ward off the Toa of Fire, then he bent over Lewa and ripped the staff out of his shoulder. What he saw didn't cheer him up. The hole was large and jagged, and the edges were covered in green liquid. Shooting a glance at Lewa's motionless face and at his dim heartlight, he suddenly had to face the fact that their brother might not make it this time. He felt as if something had gotten stuck in his throat.

"Onua, the gliders!" Tahu insisted, seeing that the black Toa was hesitating. Onua nodded and moved over to Awel, while Tahu did his best to hail Lewa on his shoulders despite his frozen arm, doing so, he caught a glimpse of the ceiling, spotting the falling rock just in time to raise a shield to protect himself and his brothers.

"Oh frell!" he swore, as the rock shattered and fell to their side. "Onua..."

"I'm done," Onua said, bringing back the two katana. "Give him to me."

Tahu handed over Lewa, taking the two swords instead, and the two Toa hurried back to their brothers.

"Come on!" Tahu yelled at them, waving them towards the exit. "It's that way!"

"Onewa... where's Onewa?" Vakama shouted, not seeing his friend anywhere.

"He must've fallen to the bottom of that mound when Makuta struck us," Nuju said. "I'll go for him."

"Let's hope-pray that he's still unconscious," Matau commented as Nuju sped off. "Otherwise I don't envy-fancy the one that's going to drag-pull him out of here."

"And that would be you, Matau, " Vakama retorted. The green Turaga/Hordika made a face.

"Nokama can help you if you need it, » Tahu added. « I'd rather have four pairs of eyes on him than just two."

Nokama nodded, and Vakama nearly expected Matau to make one of his comments about the two working together, but all he said was. "Good, because I'm still hurt-aching from the hard-beating you guys gave me, and it'd be a pity that Nokama didn't get her part-share of it."

"Got him" Nuju called, climbing back up the mound again, dragging a – fortunately – unconscious Onewa with him. Tahu nodded and they made for the exit again.

A groan stopped them half a bio from it.

"What was that?" Vakama asked.

"Is someone still inside?" Nokama added.

"No," Tahu answered, mentally counting his friends. "No, we're all here."

"Then who... Akapok?" Onua suggested.

"He's still alive but it doesn't sound like him," Kopaka answered, scanning the area with his mask as another groan could be heard. Suddenly, his lens fixed on something, and a glint of surprise briefly passed his other eye.

"What is it?" Vakama asked urgently. "Who is it?"

"Nothing, we were just imagining it," Kopaka lied, but Vakama wouldn't let it pass that easily.

"Who is it? Share your mask if you don't want to tell us!"

"Turaga, we don't have time!" Tahu said, scanning the ceiling for rocks that might suddenly fall on them. "We're all here and there's no one left! Let's..."

"No! If there's still someone in the room we must know who it is!" Vakama snapped back. "Share that mask!"

Kopaka sighed and shared his Mask Power with the others. When they saw what it was, they all started with surprise.

"It's Lhikan!" Vakama yelled. "He's still alive!"

"But it can't be..." Nokama whispered. "Lhikan is dead and the one in his body..."

"But Makuta's gone, isn't he?" Vakama replied. "So the only person who can be inside it is him! Come on!" He yelled to the Toa, dashing towards the moving figure behind the debris. "We must get him out of there!"

"Turaga no!"

Tahu lunged and caught Vakama just in time. Before them, a rock of gigantic size crashed to the ground. Hadn't Tahu stopped him, it would've crushed Vakama.

The Toa Metru looked at the figure again. It wasn't moving anymore.

"No! No! Damn it..." he cursed, clenching his fists. "Damn it..."

"Come on, let's go!" Tahu insisted, dragging the Toa back up and out of the room, while rocks rained behind them. The hallway in front of them wasn't in a better situation, but at least the ceiling still held. "That way!" he shouted, pointing at the only exit. "Onua, you came from here, right? Do you still remember the way?"

"Sure," Onua answered.

"Okay, then lead the way," Tahu ordered, counting his friends again to make sure that nobody had been left behind. One was missing. "Kopaka? Where's that idiot of Kopaka?" He looked around, looking for the Toa of Ice. He was still standing in the room, gazing at a spot behind him. What the heck was he doing? He would get all of them killed! Tahu rushed up to the limit of the door, calling for his ice brother.

"Kopaka! Kopaka what the heck are you doing there? Come here!" The Toa of Ice looked at him for a moment, then turned back to the spot he had been staring at. Tahu craned his neck to see Akapok, standing again, gazing up at the Toa of Ice with his usual, mocking expression. "Kopaka forget about him! Let's get out!"

Kopaka turned back and stared at the wall, doing something with his lens. Then he marched up to Tahu, untangling the Ilsao around his neck and pulling the green, the red and the black one over his head. Tahu merely stared, wondering what the ice Toa had in mind.

"Take these," Kopaka said, handing over the Kosnero, the Ringlu and the Jinoka to Tahu. Tahu blinked.

"Kopaka, what is this?" he asked quietly. Kopaka stepped back and walked up to the wall besides the door.

"Something necessary," he said. Then he hit a spot on the wall.

"NO!" Tahu's shout was cut short when a heavy metal door fell close in front of him. Seeing what had happened, Tahu let out a shout of frustration and started slamming his fist on the door.

"Kopaka! Kopaka, Mata Nui damn you! Come back here!" he roared, still slamming his fist against the door. He looked around for a way to open it, but found none. "Open the friggin' door! KOPAKAAAA!"

"Tahu?" Onua had come back to see what was happening. Tahu slammed two of the Ilsao on his chest.

"Take these!" he growled. "I'm bringing him back whether he likes it or not. KOPAKA I HAD PROMISED I WOULD KILL YOU IF YOU HAD DONE SOMETHING 'NECESSARY' AND I INTEND TO KEEP THAT PROMISE!"

"You go!" he added, turning to the back Toa. Onua took a step back, hesitantly, then turned around and ran off. Tahu went back to hitting the door as if it had committed an unspeakable crime and needed to be punished. "KOPAKA YOU CAN BARELY STAND! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO?"

Kopaka nearly smiled at the last comment. It sounded like the sort of thing one of the other Toa would yell to Tahu, and here Tahu was yelling it at him. But he was wrong, he _did _have the energy to stand, and to fight even. He had gotten in from an outside source.

The Ilsao around his neck glowed a bright white.

Akapok sneered at him. "You should better listen to your friend, Toa. Whatever you're planning to do, it's not a good idea."

"Not for you, that's for sure," Kopaka retorted, pulling out his swords. Akapok looked at them with an amused expression on his face.

"Are we going to finish this deal with a sword fight, Toa?" he asked. Kopaka pointed the tip of his blade at Akapok's neck.

"Believe me, if there was another way, I would've already done it," he answered. Akapok shrugged.

"You can always crush my head with a stone," he said calmly.

"Yes, but stabbing you will be a greater pleasure,"

Akapok smiled. "When it is that way..." he said, unsheathing his own sword. "...let this begin."

And he brought down his sword. A loud _clang! _resounded through the collapsing room as the two blades came together.

"KOPAKA! KOPAKAAAA!" Tahu had nearly yelled his lungs out, and still no sign of Kopaka. Damn it, what was the idiot thinking of doing? Why hadn't he left Akapok to his destiny? Even if he wasn't dead yet, the collapsing building would do a short work of him!

A wall cracked, and half of the ceiling came down on him, bringing down a great amount of earth as well. Caught unprepared, Tahu could only raise his arm over his head to protect himself. Luckily, the falling debris only scraped him, but a great load of dust rose in the room, temporarily blocking his view.

When it cleared, he saw that the room was now invaded by torn pieces of metal, columns, and other debris, though luckily not blocking his way out. The door, however, was still intact, just slightly dented.

And through the cracks of the wall, water was already leaking in.

XXXXX

"What's happening?" Pohatu wanted to know, seeing the Ihar run up and down nervously. Some were trying to scan the horizon, looking for something that they could obviously not see.

_-Rumors say that a huge tidal wave, a tsunami, has risen around the horizon,- _Kishro answered. _-It appears like a wall of water!-_

"How do they know?" Pohatu wanted to know.

_-There are some Ihar near the coast-beach, observing the ocean- _Kishro answered. _-I pray-hope that they quickleave while they still can.-_

Pohatu stared in direction of the coast, hoping for the same thing.

XXXXX

On the other end of the island, Sirkul emerged from the maze, followed by a large group of Ihar. He was still carrying Norik. The other Rahaga were hovering over them.

The situation wasn't of the best. The sea level had already risen so much that the water was literally at their feet, waves taller than Toa crashing into the rocks and rolling on the sand. The wind had also grown in intensity, spraying water and salt at their faces. And far away, in the distance, something could be seen moving.

"_Sirkul, what is that?" _Nairof meowed, pointing at what seemed a small wave at the horizon's level. Sirkul frowned and stared at it, calling his powers in aid. What he saw did not improve his mood. His eyes went wide turned to the other Ihar, barking and pushing them on their way.

"_GO! Quick!" _he growled. _"Go go go! Don't stop, don't look behind! That thing is a tidal wave, it'll swallow us all if we don't move!"_

Fear spread through the Ihar lines, and the cats and wolves started pushing and running to get away as fast as they could. Mothers and volunteers picked up the youngest, while those who were a bit older had to take care on their own. Sirkul went on barking frantic orders.

"_Go! Those of you who have the Power of Speed, grab a kups and go! Those who can teleport themselves do it, for Mata Nui's sake! And if you know how, also teleport someone else with you! Those with the Power of Strength, pick up a kups, they will not slow you down! Those who have the Power of the Kanohi Calix, use it to do the impossible and get away from here faster than you ever have! Those who can Fly... fly! USE YOU DAMNED POWERS SINCE YOU HAVE THEM!"_

Sirkul stopped a second to catch his breath, but already his words were taking effect. Ihar were zooming away, taking off, or simply disappearing, someone carrying someone else with them. Hoti popped up out of nowhere.

"_Smart talk," _he commented, smiling despite the situation. _"Now, I have one question, if I had the power of Astral Projection, would I be allowed to use it to save my spirit?"_

"_Those who have the power of Astral Projection, DO NOT USE IT!" _Sirkul bellowed. Hoti chuckled.

Those who had the Power of the Faxon had found a new use for it: mimicking the Powers of those who could teleport themselves, they were disappearing one by one. Someone had summoned some flying Rahi to carry them away, and soon there were just few Ihar who weren't gone. Another pack of Rahi, fast swimmers of the sea this time, made the affair.

"_How come we can escape a gigantic tidal wave," _Nairof asked, clutching tightly to his Rahi. _"But can't defeat the Leehar?"_

"_Because we're part Toa, and Toa, if they don't work together, never accomplish anything" _Sirkul said tiredly.

"_I hate Toa," _another Ihar said. _"Why did they have to be part of me?"_

"_Because: Hiei ihar semit. 'You were damned with intelligence'," _a third Ihar answered.

"_Hey, the sea is retreating, is that normal?" _Hoti asked.

"_Swim faster!" _the summoning Ihar ordered her animals.

XXXXX

Kopaka brought his blade down on Akapok, just to have it blocked by the Leehar of Ice. With a swift move, Kopaka pushed Akapok away, hoping to make him stumble on some debris, but he was disappointed. Akapok held his balance well and attacked again, forcing the Toa Nuva of Ice on the defensive.The two swords clashed. Blade on blade, shield on shield, shield on blade. Akapok had hoped to have on his side the fact that Kopaka might be tired, exhausted even, but the Toa Nuva of Ice seemed to have endless energy supplies. Akapok didn't understand that. A minute ago, the Toa had been slumped to the ground, practically unable to stand!

Akapok lunged again, trying to put pressure on the Toa Nuva, but his icy double countered all his moves, one by one. And those blows he couldn't deviate with his sword, he blocked with his shield, and then inverted the situation, thrusting his sword through gaps in his defence and gaining the overhand again.

Both Toa had a sword and a shield. They both attacked coolly and methodically, not letting themselves be driven by emotion, but by sheer technique, countering blow with blow, using their shields when needed. The tip of Kopaka's blade came at inches from Akapok, just to find it driven away by a well placed blow, which turned into a lunge with the same movement, that Kopaka could barely dodge, but left Akapok exposed. Kopaka brought down his sword, and Akapok raised his shield, slashing with his sword at the same time, but missing.

And again Kopaka pressed on him for an advantage.

Both Toa were cold, calculating, and determined to not let anything pass. They would both take advantage of any minimal mistake of their opponent, and they both knew that their lives depended on the outcome of that battle, and so they fought for their lives.

And as if it wasn't enough, they were the only Toa Nuva and Leehar to have the same physique.

Powerless as they were, they were perfectly, evenly matched.

_No, not perfectly, _Akapok though, fending off yet another blow. _I can still play dirty._

He crossed sword and shield and pushed Kopaka away, making him stumble several feet back. Pressing on the advantage, he ran up to the Toa of Ice, feinting a blow from below. Kopaka reacted how he thought, crouching to counter it, and Akapok was quick to kick a load of dust in his face. The Toa raised his arms to cover his face, and Akapok rammed his shoulder into him, sending him tumbling to the ground. He raised his sword to strike a final blow.

Kopaka's feet came out of nowhere, tangling between his legs and kicking them from beneath him. Akapok crashed to the ground. Not waiting for Kopaka to be on him, he rolled backwards and rose on his feet. His Nuva counterpart was up as well and ready for him.

Akapok couldn't help but smile. _This is ridiculous. _He thought. « Playing dirty, are we Toa? » he asked Kopaka « That's against the rules! »

« Then I must've missed something, because I thought you had just invited me to do it, » Kopaka retorted.

Akapok laughed and lunged at the Toa again weapons at ready, Kopaka raised his own.

Blade clanged against shield, shield clanged against blade. The two Toa found themselves locked in a massive struggle, each pushing on the other to win the overhand. But the more Kopaka forced on Akapok, the more this one pushed. It seemed like the struggle could go on forever.

Akapok's foot came in contact with Kopaka's groin. The Toa of Ice doubled over and stumbled back.

Akapok threw himself on the Toa with all his force...

And a massive piece of wall came crashing between them, cutting the way of both Toa and making them stumble and fall. Dust rose, but not enough to block the two Toa frome each other's view.

Akapok jumped to his feet and dove in the cloud, using his mask to see through it. Kopaka hadn't thought of that. Akapok's attack caught him by surprise, and he raised his shield clumsily, exposing his arm behind it.

Something flashed red as Akapok slashed at it, and the white Leehar pressed on, trying to wound the Toa even further. But Kopaka was ready now and countered it easily. Again the two blades met each other, eager to draw blood.

The two Toa encircled each other, trying to get their opponent from the side, but each time their attacks were blocked. They feinted up to strike down, but there was always the shield in the way. They seemed to have forgotten that the world around them was crashing down, that the walls were cracking, and that water was starting to flow inside the room, counting the time they had left.

Akapok suddenly feinted an attack towards Kopaka's left, aiming over the shield. Kopaka raised his sword to hit him from the top, and Akapok slipped beneath it, going for the right. But Kopaka had foreseen his move, and dodged it easily.

Fiendly sword flashed; blade came down.

Akapok clenched his teeth as the sword sliced through his side, cutting deep through his armor and flesh. Blood trickled from the wound and onto the floor. Kopaka lunged again, sword thirsty for more, and met his shield. Akapok slashed at the Toa's exposed chest, cutting the laces that held the Heerole but only managing to scratch the Toa Nuva's armor.

The white stone fell to the floor, the light it had been emitting till that moment died out.

Kopaka stumbled.

Akapok looked first at the stone, then at the Toa Nuva, and smiled.

« I see, » he said. Kopaka didn't answer, just stared back.

Akapok attacked, redoubling his efforts to bring down the Toa of Ice.

XXXXX

Tahu slammed the metal post against the door, only managing to make a tiny dent in it. Enraged, he slammed it again, then again and again, each time making barely more than a scratch in the wall.

He had already tried melting it away, sending flames at it, punching it, kicking it – and nearly breaking his foot while at it – and even ordering it around, but without success. And the fact that he only had one arm to use – his weaker one, what was more -- did not help.

In fact, the dents he had just made were his greatest accomplishment up to now.

He finally succeeded in breaking the post, and returned to slamming his fist against the door, calling for Kopaka again, until finally his hand hurt too much to keep on pounding. Frustrated, he pushed himself away and treaded through the now knee-deep water to sit on a post, frowning at the metal door.

That total Rahi brain of Kopaka. Why did he always have to complicate things like that? If Akapok didn't kill him in battle, Tahu would make sure to strangle him with his own hands once he got out. And who the heck had built these doors anyway? They were **impossible**to break! Not attackable by elemental powers, and couldn't be opened unless you found just the right switch, in just the right place.

Pissed at it, Tahu picked up a stone nearby and threw it at the door. It bounced off as if mocking him. Tahu made a face back at it.

He was acting like a spoiled child, he knew it. But there was nothing much he could do otherwise, and besides, there was no one there to see him.

A rumbling behind him. Tahu turned around to see what was happening, annoyed at this new interruption. He didn't even get a chance to figure it out, because in that moment, the wall behind him exploded, and a jet of water so powerful it could've blasted a Muaka away burst into the room, sending him and good part of the debris crashing against the metal door. A sudden pain shot up his right arms as the ice around it cracked at some points, and his arm bent slightly. He screamed, water gushing in his mouth. Something hit the side of his head, and Tahu found himself submerged from one moment to the other, a huge metal column pinning him to the ground.

XXXXX

Kopaka stumbled back, clutching at the wound on his side. He couldn't keep up with Akapok anymore. With the Heerole, all his new founded energy had left him. He felt so tired that he had problems staying on his feet, let alone dodge Akapok's attacks.

The blade came down on him, precise and deadly. Kopaka raised his own sword just in time to block it, but couldn't make up with the force of the attack and he toppled to the ground, breathing heavily.

Akapok walked up to him, sword hanging limply at his side. The usual, mocking smile had disappeared from his face, replaced by a deadly serious expression.

Somewhere behind them, the walls cracked open, and water gushed in. Akapok looked at it for a split second and turned back to Kopaka.

« It seems that we have finished this just in time, » he said, still not smiling. Kopaka didn't answer, he merely stared back, a cold, unreadable expression written on his face. Akapok sighed and readied his sword for the final blow.

XXXXX

Tahu emerged from the water with a gasp, throwing away the column that was oppressing him. His broken arm throbbed madly. The water was now waist deep, and kept gushing in. It didn't take a genius to realize that he didn't have much time left.

Brushing the water off his mask, he looked around for something that could help him.

And spotted the crack in the door.

XXXXX

Something cracked loudly beneath Akapok's feet as he approached the Toa of Ice. Puzzled, the Leehar dropped his guard to look down at the thing he had stepped on. Red shards that looked like frozen blood clung to his foot, but Akapok clearly couldn't make anything out of them.

Kopaka knew it would be his last chance. Gathering all his remaining energy, he grasped his sword and threw himself on Akapok, thrusting the deadly tip at the Leehar's body.

XXXXX

Tahu studied the crack. It was large and the metal around it looked weakened, it would take little to enlarge it enough to pass through. A new hope blazed inside him. He pulled out one of his magma sword and made it glow red hot. Then, he slammed the blade against the cracks around the gap.

Whatever had made the protodermis fireproof, its effects had vanished once the metal had been cracked. His sword sliced neatly through the steel, and it took him only two or three blows to create a passage large enough for him to crawl through and the water to gush out.

Without wasting more time, he clambered through the opening and jumped into the room.

"Kopaka!"

Just in time to see one of the two Toa of Ice stab the other one in his stomach.

* * *

About the tsunami part: for those who don't know, water retreats for several... i don't know for how much, but far enough to notice, when a huge tidal wave comes. then it comes back suddenly. The 2005 tsunami disaster is where I get this from. 

And it's also inspiring me some parts of this, come to it.

And, I have VERY good news for you. This story WILL be finished.

Yes, I know that that's what I been saying since the beginning of this fanfic, but now I can affirm it.

Why? Because yesterday, at 10 o'clock, I just finished typing the last word of the last chapter.

And no, I'm not telling you what it is. Just that I had the chapter planned for a very, very long time. Want proof that I really did type it? Well, let's see, it's 10 pages, 4943 words, 26626 characters long. The first word is Tahu, and a word that's very near to the end is Miko Nui.

As for WHEN it'll be posted... well, I'll be in boarding school since tomorrow. We're at chapter 26, which means I can post the last three on friday, saturday, and sunday this week. Perhaps I can post one on Wednesday, I can't promise anything. Or do you prefer me to post one each week? Up to you, tell me what you prefer in a review.

You might have noticed that I stopped answering in chapters, but my reviewers have become so few that I can contact them all per PM. That's something good that comes with it.


	27. Which one?

**Disclaimer: **It's incredible how after 55 chapters you're with me and me repeating this, you still don't realize that I do not own Bionicle.

**Which One?**

Sirkul clambered over the edge of the cliff. He was the last one in line, they had made it. He thanked Mata Nui for the ledge that had made it possible.

They had found the rocky cliff short after leaving the marshes behind themselves. Someone had spotted a ledge going up to the top of it. The tidal wave was getting closer, the water had come back. The Ihar had decided to go for it.

It hadn't been easy. The sea was agitated and huge waves threw themselves against the wall, white foam breaking on the rock. It was incredibly dangerous to get near, and the Rahi that were carrying them kept at a safe distance, not daring to get close enough in case a new wave came and smashed them against the cliff wall.

The only Ga-Ihar with them was the first to go, jumping when the next wave was about to crash against the cliff and somehow making it to the ledge, hurrying to bring herself over the highest crests.

Nobody else had wanted to follow her example. Sirkul was the only one with the power of telekinesis, and so he had had to carry the other seven Ihar one by one, including Nairof and Hoti, and the five Rahaga, who had come with them. All while fighting to stay on his Rahi, for the constant rocking of the animal and the waves rolling into him threatened to throw him off from one moment to the other.

He had nearly made it. Nearly.

While carrying the last Ihar, a wave had crashed on him, throwing him off his steed and dragging him him beneath the surface. He had lost his concentration on the young Ihar had had been carrying.

What had happened next was simple, it had been either the youngster or himself.

And he had carried himself as far as he could up the ledge and followed the line of Ihar before him.

Perhaps a Toa would've done differently.

_-Sirkul? Sirkul? Sirkul can you hear me? Sirkul?-_

The voice irrupted into his brain so suddenly it made him jump. Someone was trying to reach him.

He shot a glance at the tidal wave behind them, and decided to ignore it.

"_We're not safe yet!" _he bellowed. _"Run!"_

The Ihar group scattered in direction of the jungle before them.

The wall of water approached the island.

XXXXX

The sword pierced the ice Toa's stomach, and came out through his back. Red stained its blade, the red of the blood it had just tasted.

Tahu could read no fear on the ice Toa's expression, just a mild surprise, mixed with pain, as if he was wondering how exactly this could've happened. How that sword could've gotten there.

His opponent pulled out his sword, and the stabbed Toa staggered backwards and fell, a puddle of blood quickly forming beneath him.

Immediately, Tahu's eyes flicked to the winner's chest, to see if the Heerole was there, but found none. He looked back at the dying Toa, and realized that he wasn't wearing one either. To his horror, he spotted the white stone lying nearby on the floor, and realized something that made a chill run down his spine.

**He couldn't tell the two Toa apart.**

The red Toa's eyes traveled from one Toa to the other, looking for a scratch, a sign... **something**that told him that the Toa who had won was Kopaka and not Akapok.

The winner looked up at him, panting heavily, leaning on his sword for support, holding his side. Tahu stared at him, questioningly.

"It's... me..." he gasped finally. Then he tumbled to the floor, dead tired. Tahu shot forwards to catch him, despite himself. He raised the ice Toa's mask so that he was forced to look up at him.

"Are you Kopaka?" he asked directly. The Toa of Ice shot him an icy glare, though slightly mildened from the fact that he barely had enough energy to stand.

"Yes," he said, pulling away from the fire Toa's grip and bending down to grab the Ilsao, and so regain some energy.

Tahu was still suspicious but something next to them rumbled, cutting their discussion short. Tahu decided to carry on his query some other time.

"Let's go," he said roughly, running towards the crack he had just come through and jumping towards it. Kopaka followed, limping a bit because of the gash Akapok had made him on the side.

The two Toa climbed through the debris in the room and shot down the tunnel behind it. Luckily, the trick with the Heerole still seemed to be working for Kopaka, and he managed to keep up fairly well with Tahu, despite the pain in his side and the small stains of blood he left behind. Tahu felt relieved. Having to carry Kopaka all the way down the tunnel would've been more than he could bare.

Something rumbled behind them, and cracks from the wall could be heard at every second. In many places, the wall had been torn apart and the earth behind it had fallen in the tunnel, littering it with debris and obstacles that the Toa had to jump over or pass under. Tahu even had to blast a couple away with his flame.

Then, the two Toa reached a place where the tunnel split. Tahu groaned.

"Which way now?" he asked, breathing heavily for the run. Kopaka looked around for a second and made to point at a direction, but Tahu had spotted an arrow of ice on the ground that had certainly not been made by the debris.

"This way!" he said, running down the same direction Kopaka had been pointing at. The Toa of Ice followed him, though he was already feeling the effects of the blood loss on him.

All of a sudden, the ceiling right in front of them cracked and collapsed, dragging down the rocks and mud above and leaving an opening in the ceiling that yawned onto the sky above. Tahu stumbled back, the nearest of the rock having literally passed at an inch from his face. Luckily, their way was not blocked from it.

"Come," he said, scrambling over the pile. Kopaka followed. He was nearly on the other side, when he stopped, suddenly.

"What **is **this rumbling?" he asked, scanning the tunnels behind them with his mask. It seemed to have gotten nearer, and wind had risen in the tunnel. Whatever it was must be big. Tahu paused a second to look back, and discovered to his horror that the tunnels were being flooded by a huge mass of water.

"Now you know," he growled. "Now **run!"**

Both Toa sped down the tunnel, not looking back once. The earthquake here seemed to be worse, the walls had cracked in many places and the ceiling had disappeared nearly entirely, so that rocks were falling on them at every step. The rumbling came constantly closer. Where did all this water come from? Tahu forced his legs to an extra spurt, trying to distance the incoming wave.

The two Toa came round a bend, and Tahu could see Vakama further down the tunnel, waiting for them anxiously. He smiled. The Tikohl must be there. Just another few bios, and they would be there.

Suddenly, Kopaka stripped and fell. The blood loss had finally gotten the best of him, and not even the Ilsao could carry him on from there. Tahu groaned and turned back for him, clumsily trying to heave him on his shoulders with only one arm.

« Mata Nui damn it help me! » He snarled at Kopaka. « Stand up... come on! »

Somehow, he managed to raise him on his feet and get him to put an arm around his shoulders, and the two Toa stumbled down the tunnel, Tahu literally dragging Kopaka with him.

The rumbling was now so strong it was nearly a roar, and the door was still bios away. Tahu forced himself to move faster, but they were still too slow. Tahu mentally started throwing insults of all kind at the Toa of Ice, all while thinking of the things he would do to him once they got out of that place.

Luckily, Vakama had seen Kopaka fall, and so he rushed to the Toa of Ice's other side, passing his other arm over his own shoulders and helping Tahu carry him. Together, they made it to the room with the Tikohl.

"Close the door! Close the door!" Tahu panted as he,Vakama and Kopaka entered the room. Onua didn't need to be told twice. He dashed to the door and slammed it shut, placing himself in front of it so that the water wouldn't push it open. Still, he had to call upon the powers of his Great Pakari to keep the massive door closed.

"We have a problem," Nuju informed them.

"What?" Tahu wanted to know, letting go of Kopaka so suddenly that he nearly literally dropped him to the ground.

"Nobody knows the code that will bring us out of here!" Nokama said hastily. "Gali and Pohatu are nowhere to be seen, nor are the Matoran!"

"What?!"

A thud echoed through the room as some kind of debris smashed into the door, carried by the rushing water. Onua felt something wet on his feet. Looking down, he noticed that the water was already leaking in.

"I know a code..." Kopaka said weakly. "Akapok said it to me..."

"You don't happen to have one that a Visorahk gave you? I think I muchlike it better." Matau commented, sarcastic. Kopaka shot him an angry glance.

"We don't have a choice," he said. "Punch it in, it's: 0 9 2 7 0 3..."

Nuju obediently bent over the Tikohl, activating it so he could insert the code.

"...5 2 9"

Nuju inserted the last three numbers and placed his hand on the transporter again.

As usual, the stone started changing color faster and faster, until the shades blended with each other and one couldn't tell what color it was. Then the strange energy they knew so well invaded the room, followed by a blinding white light, and the Toa were gone.

XXXXX

Gali collapsed to her knees, giving in to the force that was driving that gigantic wave against the island. She had held the tsunami back for as long as she could, but whatever had been driving it was too strong for her.

She shot a glance at the mouth of the tunnel that led to the complex, but nobody came out of it. As she had known, that nobody would.

The mass of water, more than 30 bios high, came rolling towards the island like a huge wall, propelled by something that Gali didn't understand, but was much, much more powerful than her.

A second before the foamy crest fell on the island, Gali sent a silent plea at it. A prayer to spare her brothers, and whatever Ihar might have the bad luck to still be on its course.

Then she closed her eyes and let herself fall to the ground, feeling that her senses were leaving her. She had never felt so helpless since the Bohrok Kal had stolen her powers.

A moment before unconsciousness claimed her, a short refrain popped in her mind. She whispered it softly, entrusting it to the sea like a message in a bottle.

_« Trust the lady of the waves,_

_trust the mother of the sea._

_To the rivermaid you can plea_

_Those who call her to save »_

Then the tidal wave crashed on Miko Nui, washing away the thousands of years of darkness that had intertwined with its fundaments.

_XXXXX_

Tahu landed on the stone floor hard. On his back, like always with the Tikohl. They had never figured out how to travel using the stone and still stay on their feet, but, on the upper side, they were someplace solid, not at the bottom of the ocean, on top of a tree fifty bios high, or any other unpleasant place where a Tikohl might be.

In fact, as Tahu realized while pushing himself up, they were in a cavern. And it looked quite familiar also.

The red Toa's eyes fell on Lewa, who was slumped on the ground not far away and his heart sank. The green Toa still hadn't woken up.

"Lewa..." he whispered, pushing himself up and crawling the the green Toa's side. This was another downside of traveling by Tikohl: it was tiring.

The green Toa was still unconscious, and didn't look any better than he had before. His breathing was regular, but shallow. Tahu looked at the gap in his armor. It certainly did not look good. So much poison...

"Lewa?" he called, shaking the green Toa, gently at first, then more roughly. "Lewa?!!"

The green Toa didn't move, though Tahu thought he saw his eyes open a crack. Without thinking it over twice, Tahu grabbed the Toa of Air's shoulder piece, melting it at key spots and ripping it off.

He must've been a bit too rough at it, because as he did it, Lewa woke up with a start, yelping in pain.

"What are you doing to my armor?" he asked woozily.

But Tahu didn't answer, because he was too busy staring at what he had just discovered, his expression unreadable.

The green Toa's shoulder was covered in poison and blood, and it certainly didn't make a nice view.

But there wasn't a single scratch on the green armor.

The staff had passed through his shoulder piece, but had not reached the Toa's shoulder.

"What is it?" Lewa asked, trying to raise his head and see what was happening, but renouncing immediately as a sharp pain pierced his skull. "My head..."

Tahu ignored him again. With a sharp movement, he put his hand on Lewa's heartlight and rubbed its surface.

The dust that had been covering it, and so dimming its light, came off.

Tahu felt so relieved he nearly laughed, and at the same time, he felt the sudden impulse to strangle Lewa.

"What happened?" Lewa asked. Images of the battle suddenly came back to him. The tornado... Awel flying towards him, the sharp pain in the back of his head. "The Leehar..."

"It's over," Tahu said, slumping against the wall. His arm was throbbing madly again. "They're gone."

But even as he said it, the image of the two identical Toa, standing in face to face one stabbed by the other, popped into his mind. Who had defeated who? He glanced over at the Toa of Ice, sprawled on the floor, unmoving. Could it be that...

"Tahu," Vakama called him. Tahu reluctantly left the wall to reach Vakama. He and Nuju were bent over Kopaka, grim looks on their faces.

"He's lost too much blood," Vakama informed him. "Nuju froze the wound, but..."

Tahu ignored him. He had not forgotten what Kopaka had put him through, and why. Enraged, he grabbed the Toa of Ice by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up into a sitting position, so that they were face to face. When he saw that Kopaka could actually stay in that position, he drew back his good arm punched him hard on the mouth.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING YOU ASSHOLE?!" he shouted. "WE NEARLY GOT KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Kopaka wiped his mouth weakly with the back of his hand, then said. "I didn't ask you to come back for me."

That was the last straw. Tahu threw himself on him, determined to kill the Toa of Ice, and he probably would have, hadn't Nuju and Vakama been there to hold him back.

"Tahu calm down!" Vakama said sternly, accidentally gripping on a spot on Tahu's broken arm and making him cry out in pain. The Toa Metru immediately let go. "Sorry. But we're alive, that's all that counts."

"Listen," he continued. "Kopaka lost a lot of blood while coming here. He might not make it, and he certainly won't if you use him as your punch bag."

Tahu was about to answer that he didn't give a damn, but managed to hold his tongue at the last second. Instead, he turned his back on the Toa of Ice to observe his surroundings. There wasn't much to see. They were simply in a dark cavern, closed by a dark door very much like the one in the tunnel complex.

"Where are we?" he asked finally.

"If you ask me," Onua said. "This looks very much like the archives in Metru Nui."

"That can't be," Tahu affirmed. "There aren't any Tikohl on Metru Nui anymore."

"I know, but this feels very much like the Metru Nui archives." Onua answered. "Though

the only one who could tell us for sure would be Whenua..."

A sudden, uncomfortable silence fell on them at the mention of Whenua's name. Up to then, they had always gone around mentioning him, as if not saying his name could erase the fact that he had been killed. Then, they had been too worried about their fate and the battle to think about him. Now, the fact that they would never hear him talk again, that never again he would've given them one of his wise tips again, hit them in full force. Despite the fact that the room was very crowded with all of them inside it, they felt as if there was a large gap where he should be standing.

And the images of his horrible death played over and over in their minds.

"I can't believe he's gone..." Nokama said softly, hugging her legs like a small girl. "I still can't believe what happened to him."

Vakama nodded, sitting down next to her and placing a comforting arm around Nokama's shoulder. The Turaga of Water/Hordika huddled against him, placing her head on his chest. Nuju just stood aside, staring into space, while Matau fiddled nervously with his hands, occasionally shooting Onewa a sideways glance, just to make sure he wouldn't wake up.

As for the Toa, none of them said a word, avoiding eye contact of any sort. It had been **their **friend to kill Whenua, and though at time they hadn't though much about it, now they realized the gravity of the act, and felt that, somehow, they were a bit responsible for it.

Only Kopaka didn't react in any way, simply looking at Nokama and Vakama with interest. He seemed completely unaware of the fact that Sirkul had been 'his' Ihar, and so that he was the most responsible for his acts.

A groan from Onewa, who was stirring, interrupted the moment, and Matau hurriedly hit him hard on the head so that he fell asleep again.

"What do we do now?" Vakama asked, without releasing Nokama from his hug.

"How about we cross-pass that door and see what's behind it?" Matau suggested, pointing at the large door in the room. Tahu nodded tiredly and told Onua to open it, which he did. A dark, unlit tunnel stretched behind it, that seemed to go on forever.

"Takua, can you..."

Takanuva nodded and walked up to the door, pointing his staff at the tunnel in front of them. What he saw made him recoil in surprise.

"What? What is it?

The other Toa rushed to his side, but all they could see was a dark tunnel, with the ground littered with glass, where the largest rubble had been stacked to the side, so as to leave a passage in the middle.

"Takua, what is it?" Tahu asked. The golden Toa stared at the tunnel in shock.

"Tahu, this tunnel... it's where that purple-eyed thing attacked me and Kopaka! We really **are** on Metru Nui!"

"Wait a quicksecond, if we are on Metru Nui... What is that doing here?" Lewa asked, jamming his finger in the direction of the transporter.

XXXXX

The old Ihar bent over Gali's unconscious figure, gently licking her. He could see now, what had caused Narubi to spare her life, and he was determined to not let anything happen to her.

He had seen her, using the last bit of strength and power to try and dim the power of the tidal wave. He had seen her shake under the effort and had read the desperation in her mind. He had heard the silent plea she had sent to the waves.

Now, he didn't even have to read her mind to know that she had been telling the truth, and that she was not the one responsible of the attacks on the island. He knew it was not her.

The Toa's eyes fluttered open. The Ihar heard her mutter something about Pohatu and her brothers.

_-Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens to you, or your brother. You can sleep, you need it-_ he told her. The Toa looked at him thankfully, and then she laid her head back and closed her eyes, finally falling into a natural, restoring sleep.

The Ihar took a step away from her. Then he suddenly raised his head and perked up his ears, as if listening to something intently. He stayed like that for a few minutes, and when he had finished, he turned to the Ihar around him.

_« I found Sirkul » _he informed. _« He made it. »_

A cheer made of barks, growls and meaows erupted from the Ihar, from all but a young Ga-Ihar, who just kept looking at the old Ihar anxiously.

She had come running seconds before they threw Gali in the lava pit. The Toa of Water was now awake and was pleading them to listen to her, that she didn't have anything to do with the deaths and disappearing of their kin and family. But they hadn't listened to her, he himself had not been interested in the event, and had watched it from far, where he couldn't read the Toa's thoughts.

And then the young Ga-Ihar had come running, screaming to wait and that she had to talk with the Toa of Water. She had asked her if she hadn't met some kups sons and daughter of Irashi and Geri. Gali had recognized the names and had said that there was a Jamma with those parents.

The young mother had nearly cried out in joy, and the old Ihar's attention had been caught. None of the killers had ever informed themselves about the name of their victims. And after Gali had said that she didn't remember any other kups of her kin, and that she didn't know what had happened to them, his curiousness had gotten the better of him. If she had had any interest in tricking the you Ihar, she would've affirmed to know the whereabouts of all of them.

He had approached and checked her mind, and had found her to tell the truth. He had ordered the Ihar to release her and then they had started talking, and from there everything had evolved.

_« Your kups are safe, Irashi, » _he told her. _« And so is Geri »_

This time, the Ihar really did scream with joy.

_« They're not with Sirkul, though » _he added. _« They left before him, on a flying Rahi. They'll reach the zone between the jungle and the dead half soon. »  
_

Without waiting another second, Irashi sped off, not noticing that the old Ihar had something else to tell her. He sighed and reached her with thought-speak.

_-Irashi, make sure that other Toa, Pohatu , is not done any harm-_

The Ga-Ihar didn't answer, but the old Ihar knew she had heard, and that she would do what she had been told.

XXXXX

Pohatu looked out at the panorama in front of him, where the dead part of the island had once lain.

Now, all that was left was a vast plain of muddy water and floating debris. That part of the island had been flat, he knew, and so the water had covered it easily, erasing all traces of Makuta's doing forever, washing away all the darkness that had infected that island for so long.

Only one thing remained, like a memorial of what had happened there, over a thousand years before. A high, steep mountain with a flat top, surrounded with fog that left out only its top.

The Ilsao around his neck seemed to tingle as he stared at it, remembering exactly what was so special about it. That was the place, where, 25 years before, they had found out about their past, and where, much longer before, they had been transformed from Matoran into Toa.

The Ihar around him were running up and down the strip of earth that now could be called a beach, whispering exitedly about what had just happened. None of them, though, was celebrating. They were all looking out at the sea with a respect he never thought could be found in Ihar. It nearly seemed as if they were waiting for something.

_-Rumors have spread that there might be survivors out there,- _Kishro explained. _-They're worried that the wave might have... well, you know.-_

Pohatu wanted to say something, but never got to do it, because at that moment, a Le-Ihar appeared out of nowhere, right in front of them. Before either him, Kishro, or Inamo could ask him anything, he had sped up to the nearest Ihar group, meowing madly.

Some of the Ihar obviously recognized him, because they ran up to him cheering in their own, unique way. Some of them were calling him through thought-speak, and Pohatu could understand from the pieces of information he snatched up that he was one of the Ihar that had gone missing.

A shout rose over the other voices clearly, and the Ihar turned around to see a huge swarm of Nui Rama flying towards them. Many of the Ihar immediately went down, ears flattened against their heads, snarling at the insects coming towards them. For a moment, it seemed like panic was likely to spread, until someone recognized one of the figures that was riding the Nui Rama.

It was one of the Ihar Sirkul had lead out of the maze. And that was confirmed when a cheery voice irrupted in their minds:

_-Hey down there! Bow before the knights of the Nui Rama! Or else our wrath will be terrible!- _

And then. _-Hey sister! How long since I've seen you! Thought I was dead?-_

A light blue Ga-Ihar burst into laugher, and hurried to meet her long lost brother. The other Ihar soon followed.

All except, to Pohatu's great annoyance, the Ta-Ihar named Inamo that was meant to keep an eye on him.

« Hey, » Pohatu suggested. « Why don't you go celebrate with your friends? »

_-And leave you to escape?- _he asked. _-Forget that. I see it as my duty to keep an eye on you.-_

« And here I thought that you Ihar didn't respect the three virtues, » Pohatu grumbled.

_-And in fact we don't- _a Ga-Ihar that Pohatu recognized as the one who had asked him about the kups back in the jungle said. _-Manar said to let him go, Inamo- _She added.

Whoever was this Manar, the Ihar must have respected him, because he grumbled something and then bit away the bonds that held Pohatu. The Ga-Ihar let out a scream and ran up to an Ihar with three kups, ignoring Pohatu completely from then on.

Kishro looked over at Pohatu and winked. _-You'd better sleep while nobody takes care of you. I saw how tired you are-_

« But Gali... »

_-Is either already dead or already safe. She didn't die twenty-five years ago after running into that volcano and losing herself, and you know how much risk a lonely Matoran runs into on this island-_

That reminded Pohatu of something.

« The Matoran... »

_-**They **have nothing to fear. They just escaped a nightmare with the Leehar, didn't they?-_

Pohatu sighed. Yes, Kishro was right. The Ihar were always very warm with those who had been captured by the Leehar. In fact there was a good chance that they had already been sent back home...

That is, if there was a Tikohl on Metru Nui.

His last thought before falling asleep was that they had been very stupid to smash the last transporter on Metru Nui.

* * *

Mumble... this and the next chapter have been tampered with at least five times. I didn't know where to end them and where to start the next. I kept cutting and pasting bits of it from here to there. Made me go crazy. 

That lame poem thingy is just something out of my head. Kept buzzing around, so I had to get it out.

Talking about poems... I CAN'T BELIEVE I SPENT A WHOLE BLOODY HOUR TALKING ABOUT MOSQUITOES AND HOW I FEEL ABOUT THEM!

cough ahem... English class... poem about a mosquito... I hate poetry... . 

Friend: OMG! Listen to this question: how do mosquitoes move?

Me: Well they... actually, how DO they move?

Friend: They fly! Duh! They Fly around you and make a bzzzzz sound!

Me: How should I know? I never saw a mosquito fly! When I see one, I splat it! I only saw how they move when they're DEAD and squashed!

I like boarding school. :) At least for the moment, though I'm not too fond of class hours.


	28. Behind the Thief's Mask

**Disclaimer:** Bionicle owns me, not the opposite.

**Behind the Thief's Mask**

When Tahu woke up, the first thing he found was that somebody had bandaged and done something to his arm, so that he couldn't move it anymore. They had also applied some sort of unguent to his many cuts and scratches, as he could see from the stains it had left.

Next to him, he spotted Onua, sleeping soundly, and further on, Kopaka. He noticed that someone had placed a thick bandage around the ice Toa's abdomen.

He rubbed his mask, wondering for how much time he had slept. Once they had discovered the passageway, they had all more or less dragged themselves through and out of it, for the weight of the days passed without sleep and the recent events were starting to feel on their shoulders. Then they had carried Kopaka towards Ga-Metru, though Tahu only had hazed memories about the short trip. He seemed to remember that the Matoran were sending them strange glances, however.

What had happened in Ga-Metru also was pretty much confused, though he had a very clear idea about it. They had entered the first hut they could find, and then Vakama had gone off to look for help – for they had agreed that it was better if Nokama didn't go, while she looked like she did. Then Tahu had shoved the responsibility to explain the Matoran what had happened on the Turaga's shoulders, and had laid down in the first corner he could find to sleep.

Someone moved next to him, and Tahu turned around to see Hahli, carrying something that seemed medicine. He was surprised to see the Matoran here, though he felt relieved, also. If they were here, then Gali and Pohatu must be too.

"Hahli?" he called her. The Matoran turned around to face him, a bit surprised to see that he was awake.

"Oh, hi," she said. "I'm glad to see that you woke up."

There was an uncertain tone in her voice, but Tahu simply thought that it must be a consequence of the adventure she had just gone through.

"How are you?" he asked, still not standing up.

"I'm alright," she said, not looking at him. "And so are the others. We're all much better than you are, in any case."

Tahu smiled at this. He had to admit that they really weren't in their best conditions.

"How long have I slept?" he asked.

Hahli made to answer, but a sweet, girlish voice spoke up before she could.

"One whole day and one night," it said. "Lewa already woke up. Everyone else is still sleeping though."

A Pakari masked Ga-Matoran skipped in, winking at Tahu. The red stared back, trying to mask his surprise as he recognized the owner of that voice. Hahli made a face when she saw her.

"I'll go get some more medicine," she said, walking out. Tahu waited for Hahli to get out, then turned to the newcomer.

"Ushuy?" he asked.

"Psssst!" the Ga-Matoran answered. "Don't forget I'm not known like that here. You can call me Fehrya while we talk"

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Well, this **is** my hut," she said. "And you guys gave me quite a scare when you just came in like that, all covered in blood and dirty..."

She suddenly looked right into Tahu's eyes. "What happened?"

Tahu shook his head. "It's too long to explain. You'll find out when we'll have to tell the story to everyone we cross down the road."

Ushuy nodded. "That wasn't why I came here anyway. We think we found out something related to the Turaga's insanity. Can you guys come this evening or is it too early?"

"I'll try and have all the Toa up by this evening" Tahu answered.

"Come where?" an icy voice asked. Both Tahu and Ushuy turned around to see that Kopaka was awake.

"Well, where else?" Ushuy asked, confused. "It's the only place you know."

A sound from outside made Tahu aware that Hahli was still waiting in front of the door, and didn't want them to forget that she was there too, but apparently didn't want to come in while Ushuy was in there.

"What's between you and Hahli?" he asked. Ushuy waved it off with unimportance.

"Nothing, what's between me and most other Ga-Matoran. I'm sweet, cute and always there to help, but I often run off into the other Metru," she giggled. "Voices travel, you know."

"Oh,"

"Well, I'll go now, I have an appointment in Po-Metru," she said, winking at the two Toa. "See you this evening!"

She left the room skipping, as usual, stopping shortly to say hi to Hahli, who was coming back in. The Ga-Matoran shot Ushuy a dark glance while crossing her, before going on to visit Tahu and Kopaka.

"I hope she didn't act with you like she normally does," Hahli said bitterly.

"And that is...?"

"Oh, always flirting with the first guy who passes, and then doing it off with one of her little laughs," Hahli explained, rolling her eyes. "I don't like her." Tahu laughed at that.

"She'd have some nerve to flirt with a Toa," he said. "Anyway, where are Gali and Pohatu?" he asked, suddenly turning serious. "I need a word with them."

Hahli's face darkened and her movements became short and hasty. She seemed to want nothing else than get away from that room. Tahu wondered what it was that disturbed the Matoran so much.

"Um... what about?" she asked. Suddenly, it seemed as if Tahu's worse suspects were confirmed. The two Toa had indeed zapped the Matoran back to Mata Nui and then accompanied them back on the island, forgetting that none of them knew the codes to the various Tikohl.

"About not being in the Tikohl room when we were running for our lives," Tahu answered dryly. "None of us knew the code to get out, we managed to make it just..."

He stopped, suddenly noticing that the Matoran was shaking all over, and seemed to be on the verge of tears

"That's what Gali said," Hahli said, speaking more to herself than to Tahu.

"What?"

"I don't know where Toa Gali and Toa Pohatu are."

Tahu felt like a bucket of icy cold water had just been dropped on him.

"What? But... if they brought you here..."

"They didn't bring us here," Hali interrupted. "We were brought here by a couple of Ihar, yesterday."

A dark feeling filled up Tahu, as the suspect that something far worse than he had imagined might have happened. He waited for Hahli to go on.

"Toa Pohatu and Gali... Well, after they had carried us out of the tunnel..." the Ga-Matoran was twisting her fingers nervously, as if she didn't know how to say it. "Well... they dropped to the ground and then..."

Tahu's face darkened more and more as Hahli nervously explained what had happened after Gali and Pohatu had gotten them out of the tunnel. When Hahli had finished her story, he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the hut, just to slam into Vakama.

"Turaga!"

"I already heard about Gali and Pohatu," he said grimly. "Jaller just finished telling me the story. He's still quite bitter in your regards."

"Then you know that we have to rescue them!" Tahu snapped, trying to get past the Toa Metru.

"And how do you plan on reaching Miko Nui?"

That hit Tahu. He hadn't thought of the fact that the only way to reach Miko Nui was by Tikohl, and the only one who knew the code was Gali. He stopped dead on his tracks.

"We can't even contact Hoti or Sirkul..." Tahu muttered. Then he turned brusquely to Kopaka.

"Akapok didn't give you any code to Miko Nui, did he?"

Kopaka seemed to think about it for a second, but then he shook his head. "No... I'm sorry."

It was those words, more than anything else, that made Tahu aware of how little chances Gali and Pohatu had to have survived that encounter with the Ihar.

He had never heard Kopaka say sorry before.

XXXXX

Pohatu woke up to find Gali sitting right next to him, huddled against a tree, staring into space. She looked as if she had cried. Next to her were Kishro, Hoti, Nairof and Sirkul, talking among each other in Ihar-speak, looking grim. A bit farther away, were five strange beings with Rahkshi heads, that Pohatu recognized after a moment as Rahaga, and a dark red Turaga, that Pohatu wasn't familiar with. He couldn't tell if they were talking or not, but they all had a serious look on their faces.

An odd atmosphere for a group that had just escaped death, helped save half the Ihar population, and had witnessed the downfall of Makuta's complex, and for one, crazy moment, Pohatu thought they might be weeping his own death, and was about to make it clear that he was still alive, when it occurred to him that that couldn't be the case. Kishro had known he was still alive, so why...

"Gali? Is everything okay?" he asked her. The blue Toa jumped a bit at the sound of his voice, but then nodded shortly, still staring into space.

"Yes, everything is alright," she said. It certainly didn't sound as if everything was alright.

"The Matoran..."

"No, I was informed that they were carried back on Metru Nui with a personal escort of Ihar."

"Then what is it?"

Gali still didn't look at him, but he saw her eyes fill with tears.

"It's... our brothers... and... and Kal..."

Pohatu's face darkened. "What's up with her?"

Gali shook her head. "This morning, I went to visit her... Hoti had brought me back her kups. All other families have been left intact, in case one of the kups needed for the ritual died and there was need for a spare... that happened a few times... apparently. But, no, not Kal's family. He is the only one alive left, all others have been killed by Utahop. But I thought... I thought that Kal would do anything to have at least one of them back, to know that at least one of them had survived..."

She swallowed.

"So I brought him back to where Kal lived. Hoti went and called her, telling her that we had a surprise for her... he sounded so cheerful... and then I saw Kal. She looked terrible! Thin, unkept... she looked at us like she wouldn't recognize anyone. A hollow, empty stare, like she saw right through us... and then I thought, that at least she had one of them... one of her sons back now. Sarimel, that's his name... and then he recognized his mother, and ran right up to her, calling her name, calling her. 'Mom! Mom! I'm back! I'm back!' And then..."

Gali shook her head, the tears now clearly visible on her face. Pohatu stared at her, waiting for what would come next.

"And she did not recognize him! She didn't recognize her own pup! She started screaming and yelling... that that couldn't be him! That he wasn't real, that he was a ghost! And to prove it, she attacked him. Attacked her own son! You know how Kal has always been... we could barely get him out. And then she threw herself on me, barking things that I couldn't understand... asking me why I had brought him to her... and she attacked Hoti and Nairof too..."

She shook her head and buried it in her hands, struggling to hold back the upcoming tears. Pohatu waited for her to calm down, before asking. "What happened to the kups, now?"

"Kishro's taking care of him," Gali said glumly. "He'll survive."

Pohatu nodded, while a feeling of emptiness and horror invaded him as he realized exactly what that meant. Kal had lost it. Definitely, completely. After enduring the loss of her family for so long, she had finally broken under the pain of her kups' death.

He hesitated a moment before asking the nest question.

"And what about Onua, Kopaka... the other Toa?"

Gali made a face, and tears sparkled in her eyes again.

"They didn't come out,"

"What?" Pohatu asked, raising himself.

_-That's why we proposed her to visit Kal in first place- _Hoti said privately. _-We thought it would cheer her up a bit.-_

Gali was fighting hard to hold back the tears that were menacing once again to fall down her face.

"They did not come out. They never left those tunnels!"

Pohatu was now up and sitting.

"How do you know?"

"I've been asking around... nobody has seen anything that looks like a Toa, other than us. Nor a Turaga, or a Hordika. And you can bet that a Hordika would be noticed around here. I was standing in front of the entrance we came through when it happened... and they didn't come out! Pohatu... none of them knew the codes to the Tikohl! I fear..."

"Calm down!" Pohatu placed his strong hands on her shoulders. "Nobody saw their bodies, did they? There's still hope."

Gali laughed bitterly. "Pohatu, their bodies would be buried in there." She pointed at the new piece of ocean where the complex had been. "Nobody's going to get even near the place, let alone search it!"

"Have you?"

Gali shook her head. "No, I'm afraid of what I might find."

For a few moments, they stayed in silence, not knowing what to say. Then Pohatu asked. "Maybe they could've escaped through another exit? I know there were many."

But Gali shook her head and nodded at the Ihar. Pohatu turned to them for explanation.

_-The exit you came through is the only one which wasn't flooded- _Sirkul explained. _-There's another one, but it leads to the Onu-Kavi tunnels. Someone would've noticed if they had gone that way.-_

Gali wailed and finally burst into tears. Sighing, Pohatu sat next to her, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Come on sister, cheer up!" he said, though he felt there was little to be cheered up about. "It's not like you, letting yourself down like that. Come on! There's still hope, as long as nobody has seen the bodies."

"Listen," he added. "If they're still alive, the only place they can be is on Mata Nui or Metru Nui. We'll check there, and if we don't find them... well, then we'll think about it."

Gali nodded, a bit of hope having returned to her eyes. "I know... I know I'm being stupid. It's just that... first I see Makuta leaving in a cloud form, which means that at least they didn't defeat him. Then they don't come out of the tunnels...and I know that if they got killed because I wasn't there to give them a quick escape, I'll never forgive myself. If they got killed because they didn't know the code to get out..." She closed her eyes and shook her head, not wanting to think about it. "And then I find Kal and discover she's gone mad beyond help. Her only kups left is hurt, and..."

"It's just wrong!" she exploded. "We just won! At least in a way... It's over. The complex has been destroyed, Makuta has gone... and here we are! Worrying about our brothers, about how the Leehar might still be alive, about Kal, her kups, Thau..."

Her voice trailed off. Pohatu reached out and hugged her, holding her against his strong chest, until she had stopped crying. He understood how she felt. He himself had been hoping that once it was over, it'd really be over, without complications. They stayed like that for a while, then he asked. "What happened to Thaukon?"

Gali jumped, realizing she had forgotten to tell him. But it was Hoti who answered him.

_-While you were in the maze, Thaukon and I went to Metru Nui, we wanted to ask your help. I stayed on Mata Nui, because I can't swim, and he swam all the way to Metru Nui. Then, only half a day later, he contacted me again telling me that you were on Miko Nui. Now over two days have passed, and I haven't heard from him since. I'm worried that... he's never been a particularly good swimmer...-_

A short silence followed those words, until Pohatu spoke again.

"We'll look for him one on Mata Nui. Now, can you please clear out one last thing for me?"

The Ihar nodded, and Pohatu pointed at the red Turaga.

"Who **is** that guy? I never saw him before."

Gali laughed softly, and Hoti's eyes twinkled.

_-Pohatu, my friend, let me introduce: Turaga Dume, the one and only elder of Metru Nui-_

XXXXX

The two Toa had set off to Mata Nui full of hope and determination, along with their four Ihar friends. But now, after hours of searching through the island, calling their brothers' names and looking for them, they were starting to lose hope. Even worse, the boat with which the Toa could've reached Metru Nui was still there, a sign that their brothers had not gone that way. As if it wasn't enough, though they had scanned the whole coast and the entrance of the tunnel leading to Metru Nui, they had found no sign of Thaukon.

"There's still the chance that they all might be on Metru Nui, and that they got there using a different way," Pohatu said, but he didn't sound so sure anymore.

Gali nodded, though Pohatu saw that there was little hope in her eyes. They decided to give one last try on Metru Nui, and if they didn't find any traces of the other Toa, Gali would go back to Miko Nui, to inform the Ihar and start the search for their bodies, while Pohatu would stay on Metru Nui to protect the island and bring the Matoran the news.

_-We won't come-_ Nairof said. _-We probably won't be welcome on the island at this moment, without counting that if the Turaga are still alive, there will probably be Hordika on that island.-_

The Toa nodded, then they helped the Turaga and Rahaga on the boat, before jumping in themselves.

"What are we going to do with you?" Gali asked, turning to the strange group of elders at the bottom of their boat.

The Rahaga shrugged, but Dume spoke up. "Once I was the elder of that island, before the fake Lhikan came to take my place. It's time that I regain my place as Turaga of the city, especially if, as I hear there are no more Turaga to guide the Matoran."

"I hope there still are," Pohatu said. Then he turned to the Rahaga. "And you?"

"We don't know," Norik said. "Our duty is helping the islands that have been invaded by the Visohrak, it's a question of knowing whether we can still do that, with me blinded and one of our comrades dead."

"I believe that one can do whatever they want," Gali said, summoning a current to push them back to Metru Nui. "If they prepare accordingly and have faith in what they are doing."

"You don't know the Visohrak, I would become an easy prey for them, blinded as I am. I wouldn't see them coming, nor their spinners aiming at me"

"Then hear them, and count on a friend to protect you in the worst situations. Besides, that could be an advantage, when you're trapped in darkness and your enemy counts on you not seeing. But what difference does it make, when one can't see in first place?"

Norik smiled at her. "You're very wise, Toa of Water. I hope your brothers realize how lucky they are to have you at their side."

Pohatu smiled, shooting his sister a proud glance. Gali smiled back, but the twinkle in her eyes told him that there was something she wasn't saying.

One of the outlaws in her group, before their headquarters were discovered and many of the thieves caught and one of them killed in the accident that followed, had been blind.

XXXXX

It was already late in the evening when the two Toa reached Metru Nui. Once they got there, their spirits sank further. They didn't see the other Toa, and those they asked hadn't seen them either. Though the Matoran were glad to see they were okay, they were afraid of the Rahkshi-headed creatures called Rahaga, and only few recognized Turaga Dume. Finally, they decided to split, Dume going one way with the Rahaga, to announce his return to the Matoran and get back on top of the city, and the Toa the other way, to decide what to do.

"It's no point in looking further," Pohatu said glumly. "It's obvious that nobody has seen either them or the Rahaga. You were right, sister, they must have died in the complex."

But now it was Gali who refused to give up. She shook her head firmly and insisted that they check in one last place before leaving Metru Nui. Sighing, Pohatu followed her as she walked through the many buildings of Ta-Metru, leading them slowly but surely to the hiding place under the abandoned factory. Pohatu followed her, though he had little hope of finding their brothers there. But Gali seemed so determined he didn't dare speak up against her.

Only when they reached the factory, did Gali's self confidence seemed to waver, but she stepped up to the secret floor tile and removed it to reveal a second metal plate beneath it. She took a deep breath, and stomped her foot on it.

For a second, only silence answered them, until Gali stomped her foot again. Twice, and then called down.

"Xanya the Faceless seeks the Toa Nuva!" she called down. "And now open up! You know that if someone moves the upper plate it means that they discovered you!"

"Gali!" a cheerful voice came from below, and the plate was removed to reveal Lewa's smiling face.

"Lewa!" Gali cried in relief.

"We thought you two had gone dark-sleep on that island!" Lewa said.

"We thought the same of you," Gali answered in barely more than a whisper.

An sharp voice interrupted the conversation brusquely. "Will you come in, or are you waiting for the Vahki to discover us?"

Gali and Pohatu hurriedly jumped in, closing the two doors behind themselves. Once inside, they were immediately submerged by questions, as if it had been them, the ones that were thought to be dead, and not the others.

"How did you escape the Ihar?" Tahu asked, giving Gali a short, one-armed hug. "And by the way, Xanya the Faceless?"

"Didn't I ever tell you?" Gali asked. "I was called like that aboveground. Xanya literally means no name, and since nobody other than those here had ever seen the face of the thief of Ga-Metru, that became my title."

"As for how we survived, I was lucky enough to get the attention of an Ihar with the power of telepathy. He read into my mind that I was innocent. And Pohatu managed to find Kishro."

"More like Kishro found me," Pohatu said, moving up to clang fists with his brother, while Gali moved over to hug Onua. "As for you, what the heck did you do to your arm?"

"Utahop snapped it in two, literally," Tahu answered. "But I got him back for that."

"He's dead?" Gali asked, looking around from Onua.

"Yep. Unless he knows how to escape from a twenty-bio fall, a crevasse that closes on him and a lot of water."

"Which brings me back to the point," Pohatu interrupted. "How did **you **survive? You didn't know the codes to the Tikohl and nobody saw you come out of that maze."

The Toa briefly explained what had happened in the maze, and went on exchanging news. They cheered at the deaths of the Leehar and turned grim at the latest news from Miko Nui. But what left all of them confused and irritated was the news about a Tikohl on Metru Nui.

"So there's another Tikohl here on the island?" Gali asked.

"Yep, and apparently the Leehar were the only ones who knew about it" Tahu said.

"Those creatures we had problems with came from the tunnels," Onua continued. "I saw one of them in the complex. The Leehar probably let them loose when they saw that we were doing so much progress in rebuilding the city."

"So that nobody would ever find the Tikohl," Gali concluded softly. "Now it makes all sense."

"Yep. By the way, you haven't told me about Thaukon, how is he?" Tahu asked.

Gali's face darkened, and she quickly explained what Hoti had told her. Tahu stared at her in disbelief.

"So he's..."

"There are good chances that he drowned on the way to Mata Nui," Gali confirmed softly. Tahu didn't say a word, merely staring at her. Then he shook his head.

"No... NO!"

"I'm afraid yes Tahu," Gali said sadly, seeing Tahu grab his head and start pacing up and down the room. "I'm sorry. We looked for him everywhere, but I..."

Tahu slammed his fist against the wall, making the objects in the cabinet beside it tremble. Gali stared at her feet.

"I'm sorry."

At this point, Pylok spoke up. "Listen, we had something to tell you, but at this point, it can wait. We're losing enough time already, we're supposed to be somewhere else. Doing... something else."

Lewa nodded, understanding. "Yeah, we don't want our favorite team-group to be split just days after it was reunited. Besides, everything is over now, right? Whatever it was, it can wait."

"Shouldn't we be keeping this group from re-uniting?" Kopaka interrupted. "After all, they **are** thieves and smugglers, aren't they?"

Lewa rolled his eyes "You soundtalk like Tahu. Let the Vahki take care of them! They don't do anything wrong!"

"Besides, we can always come down here and tell them off of they cross too much over the line," Gali said, winking at Kuss, who was standing quietly in a corner. Then she turned serious again. "Also, the discovery of this place would bring the story of the thief of Ga-Metru back on surface. Once they'll realize she isn't here with them, we'll be sent looking for her again."

"And we don't want that," Onua agreed. "I remember what happened last time."

"Yep, and we also can't afford to loose such a precious companion," Pohatu said, chuckling. Then, noticing the other Toa's inquiring looks, he added. "I'll explain you later."

"Okay, so now what do we do?" Lewa asked.

"I say we visit the Turaga and bring them the news," Tahu said. "If Dume or the Rahaga haven't already. Also, we still need to turn them back into Turaga. Onewa is driving Nokama and Matau crazy, nobody can get him back to reason."

"By the way, you told me how you got Matau and Nuju back to themselves," Gali interrupted. "But what about Nokama?"

Tahu was about to answer that they didn't know, but Ushuy came before him.

"Well, there are rumors," she said giggling. "That the Toa Metru of Fire and the Toa Hordika of Water have finally found each other. Apparently, Vakama got desperate in the battle, and... kiss!"

XXXXX

The Toa visited the Turaga to find that Dume and the Rahaga were already there, and that most of the information had already been passed among each other. After clearing a few details, the Toa turned all the Hordika back into Turaga, to Matau's great relief who was getting genuinely sick of Onewa's behavior. The Turaga of Stone luckily regained his mind the moment he turned back into a Turaga, and there were no complications. However, the Toa decided to let Vakama and Nuju enjoy their being as a Toa for a while. Because, as Pohatu put it:

"If someone were to attack us now, they'd find a seven Toa, two of them hurt and all of them tired from their last battle. Without counting that half of us wasted their elemental powers to turn Makuta into a dusty cloud. Imagine how glad they'd be to find that they can do short work of us without wasting too much energy!"

Besides, Pohatu pointed out, if all this had been done because they wanted to turn back into Toa, they might as well stay Toa and accept the responsibility of it for a while. Something that the Toa Nuva unanimously agreed with.

Lewa however, refused to turn Matau into a Toa, saying that he wouldn't take the risk of it if they were all being menaced by Makuta merged with the Karzahni. Sorry, but he wasn't going to mess with the Ilsao for a while.

Then they all went to sleep.

The next morning, the Toa set off to visit Miko Nui and their friends Ihar, where they had to face the fact that, of the large island that had once been Miko Nui, less than half was left. What was more, of the more than 150 Ihar that had disappeared, less than 70 had come back. Many of them had been killed by the Leehar or died in the tunnels. Also, a few incidents had happened during the rescue. But, as Nairof put it, you can't have a war without casualties. But he sounded sad and not at all convinced when he said it.

Nobody had heard of Thaukon, and Hoti confided that he was losing hope of finding him alive. They could always fetch an Ihar with the power of detection – he thought Nairof had a brother with that ability, and Nairof confirmed it – but wasn't sure he wanted to do that.

There was also the problem that Jaller still wasn't speaking to Takanuva. Though he didn't blame the Toa for any other thing anymore, he still hadn't forgiven the golden Toa, and when he spoke with the other Toa Nuva, he was always cold and detached.

The Toa left the island with a feeling of sadness in them. Tahu didn't speak to anyone until they split to leave, and even then it was only to say goodbye and confirm their plans for the next day.

It happened that night.

Tahu was sleeping in his home when a shout from outside caught his attention. Lights were lit in the huts around, filling the streets with a glowy yellow light, and the sound of running feet could be heard. He looked out to see a great confusion. Matoran were running all over the place, whispers traveling from one group to the other. He knew immediately that something was wrong.

"What happened?" Tahu asked, rushing out.

"The thief of Ga-Metru!" A Ta-Matoran answered excitedly. "They finally caught her!"

* * *

So, the next chapter will be the last one. I told you I would finish it.

And then? 

Hehe... and then... you had Heroes of the Past, of the Present... there's still something missing, isn't there?

I excuse myself once again for the stupid delays, I had a hard year, but it's not much of an excuse, since that would mean that I'm not going to write at all this year, which is exactly what I'm not hoping to do. Which means I really hope to be finishing this trilogy by the end of this school year. I KNOW I can make it, but I have to get on writing. There's also one main issue about the next story that I have to clear up. There's this really, really huge hole in it, and I think I won't be able to patch it this time.

Yes, I said hole, not flaw. But that doesn't mean there's something missing in it.

So... should I post the next hcapter tomorrow or next week?


	29. Fire and Ice

Disclaimer: Bio... LAST CHAPTER! OMG! O.O (**starts dancing around the room)** LAST CHAPTER!

Aw, pleaaase! Can I say that Bionicle is mine for the last chapter? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaase?

Okay, okay, Bionicle still isn't mine.

**Fire and Ice**

Tahu stormed into Vakama's hut, enraged. Toa Vakama was staring at the street outside,leaning on the windowsill. He didn't seem to notice that Tahu had just slammed the door behind himself with enough force to wake up all Ta-Metru.

« What is this story Turaga? » he asked. « I just heard that the Vahki are bringing away one of my teammates, accusing her to be the Thief of Ga-Metru! What... »

Vakama's head spun aroun, and Tahu saw that he was angrier than he had ever seen him before.

« I could ask you the same question, Tahu » Vakama snapped. « What is this story? Is it true that Gali is the thief of Ga-Metru? »

« The Vahki seem to think so, » Tahu answered angrily. « Who gave them her name? »

« Who gave **you** her name? » Vakama retorted. Tahu froze dead. « Nobody knows that it is Gali who was brought away, the event happened quietly and away from undescreet eyes, for once. »

« I heard people saying that it was a Toa, who else could it be? »

« **Don't lie to me!** » Vakama shouted. « You knew it was Gali all this time! That's why you came running here as soon as you found out! If you hadn't been sure, you would've asked confirmation before coming to accuse me like that! »

« Perhaps, perhaps not, » Tahu snapped. « You've been acting in a very strange way, lately, Turaga, going over to Makuta's side and plotting against us... how do I know this isn't another of those smart ideas, like the one to hand you over the Ilsao so you could become Toa again, a few days ago? »

He saw Vakama recoil, and knew he had won the overhand, but the Toa Metru charged back again.

« Because this time, I'm not involved! » Vakama answered. « I didn't order this capture, in fact, I have no idea who did! »

« What do you mean you don't know who ordered this capture? »

« I don't know! As I heard, the Vahki got trustworthy information that the thief of Ga-Metru was Gali. And it must have been trustworthy, because it gave them the exact location of a hideout of outlaws that we have been searching since before the Great Cataclysm, along with the name and description of various thieves and smugglers! » Vakama snapped. « And all of them confirmed their identity once under the effect of the Vahki Bordahk's staff! »

Tahu stared at him. « They gave you the location of an outlaws' hideout? »

« Yep, beneath an abandoned factory in Ta-Metru, » Vakama scanned Tahu's face. « I see you recognize the place... »

« Yes, but I know it for reasons that have no connection with the outlaws whatsoever! »

« I don't care how you know it Tahu, what matters to me is something entirely different: Is Gali the thief of Ga-Metru or not? »

When he saw that Tahu hesitated in answering, he huffed and added. « Listen, do you remember what Lhikan – Makuta, told us about the Vahki? About how they had fixed all those problems they had after Makuta drained the energy of Metru Nui? »

« Do you think he might have been lying? »

« No. After all, the Leehar's objective was to gain the trust and loyalty of the Matoran. But that doesn't mean they had to remove all the defective staffs, or that they couldn't tamper with the new ones and get them to do exactly what they wanted. »

« But up to now... »

« Yes, up to now, » Vakama interrupted him. « But now, this 'élite Vahki squad' popped out of nowhere. They managed to turn the hideout into ruins and blow off one of Jeea's legs. You can go check, he's in Ga-Metru for cures. »

« What does this... »

« Listen, your silence is enough of an answer for me, but the Vahki will want to hear it. A stupid rumor has spread out that normal Vahki staffs don't work on Toa, so someone got the smart idea to try the élite Vahki staffs on Gali and Lewa. Yes, Lewa too. He's been recognized as a spy for that group of outlaws. Apparently, he studied the area before the theft, making it easier for those who came and steal. Anyway, he got caught. »

« But these élite staffs... »

« Are supposed to have the same effect of a normal staff, but stronger. Emphasis on supposed. »

Tahu stared at Vakama in horror.

« And now answer the question, is Gali the thief of Ga-Metru or not? »

Tahu bowed his head. « Yes. »

« And why didn't you tell me when you found out? » The Toa Metru Shouted. « I would've rather heard it from your mouth than from an anonymous source and a couple of Vahki! » Tahu had never seen Vakama so enraged.

« Because we were afraid of what might happen to her, » Tahu answered through clenched teeth.

« And you were right! » Vakama snapped. « You were totally right! But your silence makes it things a hundred times worse! How long have you known? Five years? Ten? »

« Since the accident on Miko Nui, » Tahu answered.Vakama stared at him for a few seconds before exploding again.

« So it's been a whole 25 years you've been hiding the truth from us? Do you realize the gravity of the situation? »

« Not really, » Tahu said, though he knew he should've held his mouth shut. « You hid it from the Matoran for a 1000, and from us too. »

Vakama jumped, surprised by the Toa's sudden blow. He seemed to think about it for a moment, then said, calmly. « You're right. But we held it to avoid reminding the Matoran that that was not their home. We did what we thought was best for them, while you... you only did what was best for you. »

Tahu opened his mouth to reply, but realized that he didn't know what to answer to this. He bowed his head, feeling slightly ashamed.

« There's another reason why I'm asking you this, » Vakama said.

« What? »

« You mentioned before that we have been acting in a strange way lately, » Vakama said. « Us Turaga, I mean. Well, you're right, now I see it too. »

« I don't see... »

« I mean, I see it too, but in the other Turaga, » Vakama replied. « And more precisely in Nokama, Matau and Onewa. Nuju, luckily, is still sane enough. »

« What do you mean? »

« The one who had the smart idea to use the élite staffs on the two Toa is Matau, » Vakama explained. « And Onewa and Nokama are discussing about killing all the prisoners, without a trial, to avoid all risks. Tell me, Tahu, how is **that **sane? »

XXXXX

« That's what Vakama said? » Gali asked softly through the bars.

« Yes, » Tahu answered. « Pohatu managed to escape to Miko Nui before they sealed the way to the Tikohl, and Onua is hiding somewhere in the sewers. Takanuva is the only one completely clear, he didn't ever do anything, so it's all for the best. Vakama could only avoid my arrest because of my profound hate versus thieves. And he had to use all his power to do so. Nuju is doing all he can, but even with his help Vakama can't do much. »

« And Kopaka? » Gali asked.

« Apparently, nobody made his name in the Metru Nui affair, either» Tahu answered. « Makes sense, he was the last one to join the team and did nearly nothing until the very end. »

Gali nodded, pondering his words. He hated to see her and Lewa closed in like that, but he couldn't do anything against it. Though he could've melted the bars any time to let them escape, he had sworn to Vakama that he wouldn't do it. It would only have made things for Gali and Lewa worse, as well as proved that he too was involved in the affair. No, best was to work in the background and use to the maximum his visits to Gali and Lewa's cell.

« What are they going to do with us? » Gali asked, and Tahu was surprised to find a hint of fear in her voice. She must have had a hunch, at least, about what the Turaga were planning. He hadn't told her that part yet.

« I don't know, » he lied. « I'll try and find out as soon as I can. »

Gali nodded again, and for a few minutes, they just stayed like that, in silence, both clutching at the prison bars, Gali staring at the ground and him looking at Gali, while thousands of questions buzzed through his head. Who had given the Vahki his and the other's names? How had they known who Gali was? Where did those élite Vahki come from? That and many more questions, all of which without an answer, and to which he doubted he would ever find one.

Unless...

The image of the two identical Toa of Ice, standing one in front of the other, passed through his mind. He had never completely stopped suspecting that Kopaka might not be Kopaka, and now a very nasty thought was making its way through his mind.

« Tahu... »

Gali was looking at him again. He waited patiently for her to talk.

« How did they know there was a special squad of élite Vahki? With Makuta and the Leehar gone, nobody could have guessed... »

The question rang an alarm bell in Tahu's head. It was just the confirmation he needed. He privately thanked Gali for the unconscious tip she had given him.

« I don't know, » he said. « I guess whatever is controlling the Turaga knew they were there and planted the information in the Turaga's mind. I don't see any other explanation. »

Then he stood up, suddenly anxhious to get away from there.

« My time is running short, » he said, not looking at Gali. « I'll see if I can bring Kopaka with me, tomorrow. He has some nerve, openly not giving a damn about you two. But I'll fix that. »

Perhaps, in another occasion, Gali would've noticed the dangerous undertone in the voice of the Toa of Fire, but at that moment, she was too busy thinking of other things to care. So she laughed softly and said. « Well, I suppose he can't come in here just like that. He's always been the coldest of us, and he supposedly just discovered that his sister and brothers are maniacal thieves and a danger to security. He'd raise suspects if he started caring too much. »

« Perhaps, » Tahu said, staring into space. « Well, I have to go now. Bye. »

And with that, he left as fast as he could without running, leaving behind a very confused and slightly sad Gali.

XXXXX

It was only once outside the prison, away from Gali and Lewa's eyes, that Tahu let in to his rage. He couldn't believe that he had been tricked like that! A simple change, not even aforeplanned, had tricked him. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid.

How else could Kopaka have know the right code to the Tikohl? Why would he have suggested that they hand in the outlaws? Why would he have seemed so oblivious to the fact that his friend had killed a Turaga?

Kopaka was cold, but not to that point... and he respected the Turaga. He would've shown more respect instead of looking at Vakama and Nokama curiously like he had never seen a couple in love before... And the Tikohl code? Akapok would have only given them the right one if his life depended on it, which was exactly the case inside the Tikohl room. Otherwhise, he would've surely given them the code to one long lost inside a lava flow. Or something like that.

Fuming, Tahu marched off into the direction of Kopaka's home, unsheathing one of his magma blades as he went. Only one arm? For the better! He could beat that bastard with one arm behind his back, and he was going to prove it! Oh, if he was going to prove it!

He was going to show Akapok who he was.

XXXXX

« What are you doing? I'm not Akapok! I'm Kopaka! »

The figure on the ground looked up at him angrily. Tahu wished he could rub his fist, he had punched him so hard it hurt.

« Go and tell that someone else! You tipped off the Vahki about Gali and the thieves, didn't you? It was you who gave them their names! »

The white Toa stared back at him hard, slowly standing up. « Yes, I tipped off the Vahki about the thieves, but I didn't hand in Gali! »

« LIAR! » Tahu grabbed him with his only arm and smashed him against the wall, holding his arm against the ice Toa's throat. « You handed in Gali, and Lewa, and all the other Toa! You know the story, you know exactly what we did and what we didn't. That's why the Vahki weren't informed of your name! Because you knew what would happen if you told them! YOU KNEW THERE WAS A GODDAMNED ELITE VAHKI SQUAD ON METRU NUI! »

« No I didn't! » the ice Toa answered, nearly as loudly as Tahu. « I know the story, yes, so what? You do too, after all. And why would I hand in my own sister? » He suddenly gave Tahu a cold, evil smile. « But I know you had thoughts about it, didn't you? Twenty-five years ago? You were the one ready to hand over Gali, not me! »

Tahu stared at him, eyes wide. « You're not Kopaka. » he whispered. Then he threw the Toa of Ice aside, drawing his sword.

« What do you want to do with that sword? Tahu? » the Toa of Ice asked him. « You only have one arm! You couldn't defeat me if you wanted to! »

« That's what we'll see, » Tahus snarled, planting his sword in the ground and sending flames at the Toa of Ice, who backflipped and went for his own weapons.

« When it's that way... » Kopaka said, drawing his own sword. He pointed it at the Toa of Fire and tried to freeze him, but Tahu countered it with a simple flick of his sword, annihilating the white Toa's attack. The Toa of Ice frowned and ran away.

« Where do you think you're going? » Tahu roared, chasing after the Toa of Ice. « I'll get you no matter what you do! »

He found him outside, waiting for him, swords at the ready. He made to freeze Tahu's feet, but Tahu simply melted away the ice sheet encasing them, and the chase continued, until the Toa of Ice suddenly stopped and turned to face Tahu, and the battle turned into a sword fight.

« How do you know I'm not Kopaka? » the white Toa asked him. He had split his sword and was now pressing on Tahu, who, apart from having only one, also had the disadvantage of having a completely useless arm.

« That smile! » Tahu snarled, aiming a blow at the Toa of Ice, who crossed his swords to block it. « Kopaka never smiles! It's only you, Akapok, who smiles like that. That little... uninterested... stupid... smile! »

He punctuated each word with a blow, but the Toa of Ice simply blocked his blows one by one. Until suddenly, he caught the fire Toa's sword between his two and thrust Tahu's sword out of the way, before starting to attack himself.

« I see, » he said, the little smile on his face again, slashing his sword at Tahu, who promptly blocked it. He brought down his other sword. « And it would have been a very smart observation, if it wasn't wrong. » And he did a little trick with both his swords, using them one after the other in sequence and forcing Tahu to move quickly to block them both. Suddenly, he brought both his swords down, which were blocked by Tahu by a miracle. The ice Toa pushed on Tahu's sword, driving it back until the two Toa were nearly face to face. « I'm **not** Akapok! » He said icily, pushing away the Toa of Fire so that he stumbled back. Then he made to throw himself on him, but Tahu was faster, summoning a flame around his blade and slashing it at the ice Toa, forcing him back. Then he threw himself on the white Toa again.

And the battle went on, dragging itself through the streets of Ta-Metru, sometimes a sword fight, sometimes a fight between elements. But every time the Toa of Ice tried to block the Toa of Fire with his powers, Tahu simply waved his sword and melted whatever ice he had created. The Toa of Ice clearly hadn't regained his powers completely.

On and on the battle went, while two of the strongest Toa fought against each other in a tremendous battle. And if at the beginning they had meant to only hurt their opponent, they were soon aiming to kill, and so both fought to their limits, using all they tricks they knew and not sparing their elemental powers. Matoran who had the bad luck to still be around at that late hour ran away terrified, afraid to be caught in the rage of the elements.

Suddenly, during a short chase, the ice Toa turned around and sent an icy spike at Tahu, too fast for him to react. It planted itself in his broked arm, and Tahu winced and came to a halt as a sharp pain shot all the way up his arm and shoulder. The ice Toa noticed, darted next to the fire Toa, and kicked at his broken arm, cracking open the protection the Ga-Matoran had put around it, and leaving it limp and exposed. Tahu howled in pain and bent in half, clutching at his arm, and the Toa of Ice quickly aimed another two sharp kicks, one in his groin and one against his head, sending the Toa of Fire crashing against the ground. Tahu groaned in pain, barely able to move, waves of pain shooting through his arm and into his body, and the points where Kopaka had hit him hurt too. Something flashed above him, and it was only with an extreme effort that Tahu managed to bring up his sword to protect himself against Akapok's blades, and it was again with an extreme effort that he brought up his foot against the white Toa's stomach, sending the Toa of Ice flying backwards.

Fighting against the pain, Tahu stood up again and the fight went on.

On and on they fought, though with less vigor, for Tahu's broken arm distracted him, and the wound on the white Toa's side had started bleeding again when the Toa of Ice had put too much strain on it. But where physical strength failed, there were their powers, and the two Toa used them continuously, so that where they passed a trail of charred and frozen buildings followed them.

And then, at a moment when the Toa of Ice was turning around to strike a blow at Tahu, the red Toa's blade came out of nowhere, knocking one of the two ice swords out of the white Toa's hand. He looked at it in alarm, and made to turn around and run away, but the fight had driven them into a dead end, and there was nowhere left to escape. Tahu saw uncertainity blaze in the white Toa's eyes.

« No place left to escape, huh? Well, then you'll obviously have to face me! » And he made to strike a decisive blow at the ice Toa, but he wasn't there anymore. He dodged the blow and sped up a bulding nearby, using a set of footholds that were meant so that Matoran could reach and inspect the roof if needed. Tahu huffed in annoyance and put away his sword, starting to climb up after the Toa of Ice. It was a dangerous work with only one hand, and Kopaka didn't take much to realise it. More than once he tried to freeze the red Toa's hand, so that Tahu had to stop and unfreeze it, and once he even tried to stomp on it, so that Tahu kept a safe distance from there on. The Toa of Ice reached the roof much faster than Tahu.

The red Toa grumbled and started climbing faster, not thinking about what might happen if he lost his grip or one of the footholds gave away. All he was thinking of was Akapok, and reaching him.

He had just reached the edge of the roof, and was looking around to see where Kopaka was, when a foot came out of nowhere, smashing into his face and making him lose his grip on the foothold. Tahu lost his balance and fell, somehow managing to catch a foothold just in time. Fuming, he shook his head and started climbing up again, activating his Mask of Shielding just in case.

Once up, he looked around to see where the Toa of Ice had gone, and saw him jumping across a gap to reach a new roof.

« COWARD! » he shouted, pulling his sword out again and dashing after him. The white Toa already had a good advantage on him, and was determined to make it grow even more. But the wound on his side throbbed madly, and blood was already leaking down his side, despite the thick bandage he had around it, and soon he found he was losing ground, and despite his efforts, he didn't manage to distance the furious Toa of Fire coming up from behind.

And then there was no place to run anymore, for he had reached the edge of the building, and in front of him was only air. The next roof was too far away to jump to.

Knowing there was no way out, he turned around just in time to block Tahu's incoming sword.

Thunder rumbled as the two Toa faced each other, sword against sword, each one trying to push the other away, and it seemed like the struggle could go on forever. Because though Tahu was using his weaker arm, the Toa of Ice was weakened by his wound, and so they were evenly matched.

« Why don't you give up, Tahu? » the ice Toa asked, shaking under the effort to keep his sword at level with Tahu's. « You can't win with your weaker arm! »

« That's what we'll see » Tahu answered under the strain of forcing the white Toa's sword away from his body.

The two opponents stood there, facing each other, each trying to drive the other's sword back so that they could push the other away. And suddenly, Tahu's sword started to fall back, inch by inch, while the Toa of Ice increased the pressure on his, forcing the other back.

« Give... up! » the white Toa gasped, his voice twisted from the effort of pushing the red Toa's sword back.

« No... no! » Tahu gasped, redoubling his efforts to push the icy blade back. « You... you have handed in my friends... you handed them over to the Vahki! » Slowly, his blade started edging towards Kopaka's body again. « You are responsible for their emprisonement... and it's all... my... fault! »

And with an immense surge of energy, he managed to drive the white Toa's sword away, pushing the Toa of Ice towards the roof's edge. Angrily, determined to finally kill Akapok, he stepped towards him and brought his sword down on the white Toa.

« No! Tahu wait! I'm... »

His sword clanged against the white Toa's ice blade, slamming against it with such an effort that the Toa of Ice fell back and toppled over the roof. Somehow, he managed to get hold of the roof's edge with one hand, his sword slipping out of his grip and falling to the ground below, where it landed with a clang. The Toa of Ice tried to get hold of the roof edge with his other hand too, but Tahu heated the stone until it scalded the white Toa's hand, so that he couldn't get a grip on it.

« No you can tell me, » Tahu said, staring down at the Toa of Ice below him, dangling from the room with only one hand, straining to hold on and not fall down. « That you really are Akapok.»

« No, I'm not! » the white Toa shouted back. « I'm not Akapok! Akapok died back in the tunnels! »

« You're lying! » Tahu answered. « Kopaka would've never handed in his friends! »

« Then kill me! » the Toa of Ice answered, his voice now deadly dangerous. « If you're so sure, kill me! »

Tahu's eyes flashed, and for a second, it seemed as if he would really kill the white Toa cold-bloodedly, but then he looked down and said. « Tell me something that proves that you really are Kopaka! »

« Like what? »

« Tell me something that only he would know! »

It was one last test. Tahu was firmly convinced that the one he was staring at really was Akapok, but the way he kept insisting that he was not the Toa Leehar of Ice made him doubt about it. After all, someone else could've informed the Vahki, or perhaps one of the outlaws had been caught and forced to reveal the information. The possibilities were many, and if Tahu ever found out that he had killed one of his brothers...

« Tell me what I read in your mind while we were trapped in that vortex! » Tahu insisted.

The white Toa stared at him with an expression of plain disunderstanding on his face, as if he didn't know what Tahu was talking about. Then his face changed and his expression was one of anger again.

« How should I know what you read in my mind in that tornado? Thoughts were flying everywhere! It could've been any of them! »

So he knew how it had been in that tornado, it hit Tahu. Doubts flooded him again. Could this really be Kopaka? Could he be doing a horrible mistake? There was only one way to know.

« I don't want to know what you felt in that tornado! I want to know a precise though that passed through your mind! If you really are Kopaka, you should know! »

The Toa of Ice stayed in silence, apparently sorting through his memories to find the right one. Tahu stared at him, anxhiously, half wishing that this really was Kopaka, and that he didn't have to do what he was about to do. Seconds passed, and he could see the white Toa's arm starting to shake under the effort of holding on to the edge. He didn't have it for long.

« So? »

« I don't know... it could be any of them! »

« Just try! »

« I have no idea what you mean Tahu! Try... »

Tahu moved to end the Toa's life definitely. He just needed to crush the hand of the Toa of Ice and it would be over. The Toa of Ice would've fallen down. He raised his foot over the clutching hand. But, a second before bringing his foot down on the white Toa's hand, he hesitated. Was this Kopaka or Akapok he was killing? Which of the two Toa of Ice was it?

« ... try something else! Something that happened on Mata Nui, or... »

There was no fear in the white Toa's voice, just anger and a slight uncertainity, as if he was trying to find something that would convince him that he really was Kopaka. Tahu still hesitated. Should he kill him or not?

« Damn it, Tahu! What do I have to do to prove you that I'm Kopaka? »

Tahu stared down at him, blinking. Then, although it was late, he said. « Wrong answer. »

And then he brought his foot down on the hand of the Toa of Ice.

The scream haunted him after minutes that it had silenced.

The scream of someone who knew his life was coming to an end because he hadn't been able to answer one question. A hollow: « Nooo! »

And then silence. The white body falling backwards, silently, searching for something to grip and not finding it.

And then, the dull 'Thump!' of a body hitting the ground.

The images of the white Toa sprawled on the ground, still moving, twitching, for a few seconds, groaning. And then, his heartlight had gone dark.

Tahu had seen it even from the top of the building.

Who had he killed? Akapok? Or Kopaka? He knew he would never have the answer to that. He knew the question would haunt him for ever.

The red Toa slumped against a chimney on the roof. His right arm was throbbing madly, the pain so strong that it made the world around him swim. He hadn't noticed it up to now.

He had never killed cold-bloodedly like that, never.

Only in the heat of the battle.

A light, sizzling rain started falling, drops trickling down the red Toa's body. He didn't bother to shake them off, or look for shelter.

Now it truly was over, no matter who he had killed. They had won.

But at what price!

Kopaka and Whenua were dead, the former perhaps killed by his own brother. Thaukon was missing, most likely lying at the bottom of the ocean. Kal had gone insane, her kups forced to live with her friend's sister, growing up with the knowledge that his own mother had rejected him, nearly killed him. The Ihar population was decimated, half of Miko Nui sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Gali and the other Toa emprisoned or on the run, handed in by someone he would never know the name of. And the Turaga were still maddened.

Staring at the air in front of him, Tahu wondered what would've happened if the Leehar had aimed for the Matoran and Metru Nui instead of Miko Nui.

He didn't want to think about it.

Who had he killed?

* * *

Review answering on the last chapter: 

**Nicole Toa of Power Scream: **Posted one day late. Hope you aren't having any breakdown. ;)

**shadowed ice: **It's not here, it's in the next story. There are small holes here, but I'm too lazy to go find out exactly what they are. And yes, they did catch Gali.

**Regrem Erutaer: **Neither to my knowledge. ;) Actually now that you mention it, I seriously doubt the Toa knew about the being at this time. Ah well, one can learn a lot in 25 years. :)

So, it's finished. U.U

That is, without counting the epilogue, but I normally don't count that as part of the main story when writing or reading.

Which is also the reason why I posted it directly with this chapter. Epilogues should come straight after the story, if anything. So that one can choose right away whether tor ead them or not. It always annoys me like hell when we get: last chapter! OMG, it's over! And then, a week later: epilogue.

Hope you all liked this story, and hope to find you all there to read on the next part.

Who has he killed?


	30. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Bionicle is copyright of the LEGO company and in no way under possession of the author, Feline Freak. The Ihar and their names, Miko Nui, the Ilsao, the unnamed purple-eyed creature, the Toa Leehar, the complex, and the outlaws are fan-made creations and therefore of property of the author, Feline Freak. This story cannot be copied, in part or in whole, without the permission of its author. It may be printed for non-ludicrous activities and to facilitate the reading.

And now... how do you say in commercial terms that if you copy my story without my permission I'll report you to the fanfiction admins?

**Epilogue**

_Tahu didn't know for how long he sat there, head in his hand, rain drumming on his armor and body, feeling miserable, hollow. The water washed over him, but doing nothing to relieve the pain. Physical or of the spirit._

_It seemed to him like ages had passed when he suddenly lifted his head, sorrow replaced with determination, helplessness replaced with hope. _

_A new, dangerous idea had blazed up in his mind. There was something he had learned, a long time before, that returned to his mind only now. Something that could undo what was done, though at terrible prices if not done correctly._

_Like in trance, he slowly stood up, gazing at the horizon before him, though not really seeing it, the idea slowly taking shape. He knew the object in question was particularly dangerous, but at this point, he was willing to try everything._

_His arm hurt like mad while he climbed down the ladder, so that many times he had to stop and catch breath, but not once did he think of giving up._

_A few minutes later, a red figure was running away from the point where the Toa of Ice had fallen, a white stone dangling from his hand, headed for the Metru Nui prisons._

_Perhaps he couldn't save Miko Nui from his fate, but at least he could bring back Whenua and Kopaka... and perhaps even Thaukon._

_His feet made a faint splashing sound as he crossed through the puddles._


End file.
